Sammy & Side Story: The Journey
by zz5
Summary: "As space-time contorts, the journey halts, and the past, the present, the future unites." The Men of Letter's bunker is full of surprises. Guess what happens next when Sam discovered an ancient hourglass kept inside one of their library books! Who to expect: Dean, Sam, more Sam, and a bit of Cas. John will make some appearances in the side stories.
1. Chapter 1: Hourglass

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

 **I did not have a particular season in mind for this story to be set in, but it'll be from 8x13 onwards as it takes place in the Men of Letter's Bunker.**

* * *

Sammy + Side Story: The Journey

Chapter 1  
Hourglass

 _Men of Letter's Bunker_

"What have you got there?" Dean asked as he walked into Sam in the library, observing an object in his hand.

"An hourglass. Found it inside some book." Sam tossed the thick library book at Dean, who caught it and opens it up to find a carved out shape of an hourglass inside the pages.

"Huh, one of their antique-toys again?" Dean flopped down on one of the chairs. "How long do you think it'll time?" Dean asked idly while flipping through the book-container.

"An hour? I don't know." Sam replied as he flipped it over and places it on the table.

"There's some writings or symbols carved into this thing…" Sam brushed his fingers across the aged, wooden-frame of the hourglass.

Dean stops at a page, having spotted something. "Hey look, there are some scribbles at the side. French? À-me-sure-que… Man, this tiny handwriting..." Dean massages his eyes. Sam takes over the open book and he too squints at the small writings at the edge of the page.

" _(In French)_ _As-space-time-con-torts… the-jour-ney-halts… and-the-past-the-pre-sent-the-fu-ture-unites…_ I think it mentions something about a journey. And…time?" Sam articulated the scribbles with difficulty.

"Oh, you don't say," Dean replied sarcastically, nodding at the hourglass. "Hey the thing's stuck," he told Sam, as the previously steady dripping of sand has stopped.

Sam holds up the hourglass and gives it a little shake. He even tilts it back the other way but the sand doesn't fall through either way. Giving an unconcern shrug of his shoulders, he places it back on the table and turns towards the shelves with the book-container in his hand while checking his phone for a French-English translation.

"What the…" Dean suddenly uttered behind him.

Sam spins around and finds himself face to face with Dean and… someone else.

* * *

"Where am I?" The uninvited "guest" spurt out in surprise. "Who are you? …How did you get me here?" He backs into a defensive stance against the wall as he spots Sam and Dean staring at him.

Sam and Dean gawk blankly at the newcomer and then turn to each other in complete bewilderment.

While the two of them are still stunned into silence, the young "intruder" had pulled out a pocket knife from inside his jacket and flipped it blade-out.

"What are you and what do you want?" He raised the blade high up, levelled to his face. His voice and expression is one of focus, more than fear.

"Whoa whoa, ok, there's no need to wave that thing around here…" Dean said as he stood up from his seat with his palms up. Apparently, it was a wrong move as he looks even more threatening now, towering over the short teenager.

The tween wields his blade at Dean, who counter-attacks with lightning speed, and the blade changed hands in a matter of seconds.

"You've got to swing harder than that, kiddo, I'm embarrassed for you," Dean teased. The attacker didn't give up, however. He then pounded with his fist, which got caught and lightly twisted to his back and next thing he knew, he is pinned, face-down on the floor.

"Whatever you are, my Dad and brother will find you. And kill you!" He declared in a muffled voice as his face is sticking to the ground.

"Hey, hey, calm down, we're people, alright. Not monsters," Sam clarified while Dean let go of him and backs away to a safe distance. He immediately jumps up from the floor, still looking wary but calmer than before.

"Not monsters…" he repeated. "Wait, so… you guys are… hunters?" He inferred.

"Well…yes, we are," Sam confirmed.

"How..why did you bring me here?"

"Actually, you just er, fell out of thin air," Dean replied.

"But I think we have an idea what made that happen," Sam look at Dean and then at the hourglass.

"Oh crap… Why can't it just be some stupid old timer like it should be," Dean groaned.

"What are you talking about?" The teen asked, confused.

"It's…a long story," Sam sighed.

"Ok, whatever it is, I need to get back to my family. Now. Where's the door?" He looked around and spotted the exit upstairs as he spoke.

"Oh..no, you can't go," Dean blocked his way with an outstretched arm.

"Why not?" He said defiantly.

"Because they won't be there... Wait… _Sammy_!" Dean shouted when he dodged past him to get to the door.

 _Sam_ stopped in his track and turned around. "How do you know my name?" He eyed the two of them suspiciously.

"Who are you?" _Sam_ asked again.

* * *

 **This new story is posted as a belated "Happy Birthday!" to Sam Winchester and also, in celebration of my end of finals! Woohoo~~! I'm aliveee~  
**

 **Fun Fact: I'd originally wanted to make this a one-shot and park it under "Supernatural Shrabbles". But since I've got a stand-alone for (Demon)Dean, I thought it's only fair to have a Sam(my) stand-alone too~**

 **Preview**

 **Coming soon… Chapter 2: Welcome to The Future**


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to The Future

**Previously on Chapter 1: Hourglass…**

… **He eyed the two of them suspiciously. "Who are you?"** _ **Sam**_ **asked again.**

* * *

Chapter 2  
Welcome to The Future

"It's hard to believe, but er, we are actually…"

"Hey De…! Can I, er, talk to you for a second?" Sam cut Dean off urgently and gave him a very meaningful look.

"Sure," Dean said, understanding. "And you..." Dean reached out and grabbed _Sammy_ by the arm.

"Hey!... Let go of me...!" He protested as he was being half-dragged-and-half-lifted into the kitchen.

"Stay here. For like, 5 minutes, ok?" Dean requested.

"There's only one exit and you'll have to get pass us to get to it, which you won't. There's no other way out, trust me," Sam added before heading back to the library.

"Let's see… Peanut-butter-jam's in the fridge and bread's on top the oven. Knock yourself out," Dean offered before leaving.

* * *

"Dude… what the hell," Dean said in a low, serious voice as he meets Sam back in the library.

"That hourglass. It must be some kind of enchanted object…" Sam said as he checks the scribbles against his phone.

"Cursed object, more like…" Dean snarled.

"And the scribbles in the book, it roughly translates - to this," Sam showed Dean the translation on his phone while reading it out: "As space-time contorts, the journey halts, and the past, the present, the future unites."

"Contorted space-time… Great, just great…" Dean pulled his palm down across his face. "So this is like some kind of a spell? Please tell me the counter spell is somewhere in there," Dean glared at the book like it had offended him.

"I'll check through every page, but Dean, before we find it, you can't just go about telling… _Sam_.. about his future," Sam lowered his voice into a whisper. "It may, you know, change the past, which will cause distortions in the future - our present…"

"Right…right. I get it. So, we can't tell "Marty McFly" over there that he's "back to the future". Well, then, what are we gonna tell him? You need to come up with something good, something that _you_ would believe, or he'll be running up that stairs any time now."

Sam sighs and looks around the room, searching for inspiration.

"We can... tie him to a chair until we find the spell?" Sam proposed.

"Did you really just suggest tying _yourself_ to a chair?" Dean said in astoundment.

"After we take away the lock picker from his back pocket...yea."

"You'll give _yourself_ PTSD! And guess what, _I'll_ be the one who'll have to deal with that after sending _you_ back!"

"Dean!" Sam hissed warningly at Dean's gradually raised voice as he became agitated by their conversation.

"Is it true?" A slight figure steps out of hallway leading from the library to the back of the bunker.

"I thought we told you to stay in the kitchen!" Sam chided angrily, taken aback by his sudden reappearance.

"Yea...and when have you ever listen, huh," Dean muttered to themselves.

"What you just said…are they all true? So…I'm in the future? And you guys are…future me and…future Dean?" _Sam_ gasped in awe.

"What? No! No, this is not the future…this is…" Sam's head spins as he tries to come up with a plausible explanation.

"A secret universe. Like a fourth dimension…sort of," Dean blabbered incoherently.

Sam turns around to have his back facing _Sam_ while he faces Dean _._ "Seriously?" He mouthed at Dean incredulously.

Their dubious denial only further affirmed _Sam's_ suspicions.

"Nice try, Dean," _Sam_ said sarcastically. "Then tell me, how did you know I like peanut-butter-jam sandwich? And that I have a lock picker in my back pocket? Oh, and this must be a misprint of the date but, since when do we have a black president?" _Sam_ held up a recent newspaper in his hand.

"… …"

"Fine, you got it. Welcome to the future," Dean finally admitted.

"Dean!" Sam rebuked.

"What! He already knows the truth. It's not my fault you were such a smartass."

Sam sighs in defeat as he pinches the bridge of his nose in between his eyes. "I'm going to call Cas. See if he can help out with this…situation," Sam announced as he pulls out his phone.

"Is that a future mobile phone?" _Sam_ asked interestedly as he watches his future-self swipes his fingers across the button-less, smooth surface of the small device.

"It's called a smartphone now. You can do everything with that thing and I mean everything. Check this out…" Dean pulled out his own phone from his pocket.

* * *

"Yes… I know, I won't let him out of my sight… Thanks Cas, see you soon," Sam ended the call.

"Cool!" "Yup, and that's not it…" "Whoa~" Sam walks back from the war room into the library to find Dean and _Sam_ sitting side by side, exploring modern technology.

"So, Cas is on the way. Will probably reach in couple minutes, he happens to be nearby," Sam informed Dean.

"Who's Cas? Is he a hunter?" _Sam_ asked.

"Er…something like that. He's a friend," Sam replied with a half-truth.

"A hunter-in-training, actually," Dean supplemented.

"Anyway, we should try to find the counter spell before Cas arrives. I'll look through the book, you can do the shelves," Sam suggested.

"Oh. No. I'll start with the book; you can hit the shelves." Dean picked the easier task for himself.

"I can help. I research with books all the time," _Sam_ offered.

"We know," Dean said with a twitch of his lips. "But er, you see, we can't just let you in on everything around here because of all that… time travel, cause and effect kind of thing," Dean told him.

"Actually, Dean, maybe he can help with the book, it's just looking for scribbles and he won't understand French," Sam suggested.

"Alright," Dean sighs at having to give up the easy task. "Just look for any markings or writings… Something like this," Dean showed _Sam_ the scribbles and then got up to help Sam with the shelves.

"I found it somewhere here…" The three (or 2?) of them spent a concentrated half an hour looking for the counter spell but to no avail.

A knock on the door signifies Castiel's arrival.

"Thanks for coming Cas," Sam said gratefully as he opens the door to let him in.

"Hello, Sam," Cas greeted him and steps into the bunker.

"Hi, Cas. This is…" Dean began.

" _Sam Winchester_ , from the year 1997," Cas stares straight at _Sam_ as though he is looking right through his soul, which he probably is.

"You know any way to zap him back to his own time zone?" Dean cut straight to the chase.

Castiel picks up the hourglass on the table and scrutinises it. "This…is the craftsmanship of Liutprand…"

"Liut-who?" Dean repeated.

"Liutprand. He was a French monk, and the inventor of the sand clock in the 8th century AD," Cas elaborated.

"That explains the French spell," Dean noted.

"The counter-spell was lost after Liutprand died," Cas continued evenly.

"Lost?" Sam picked out the keyword.

"Yes."

"Is there any other way besides the spell?" Dean asked.

"If I am at full power, I may be able to send him back…" Cas reminisced.

"What happen if we don't send him back?" Sam asked tentatively.

"He cannot stay here. There cannot be two of the same soul in the same continuum. The universe won't allow it. Not for long."

"What do you m…" Sam tried to ask before Dean cut him off.

"How long do we have?"

"Until all the sand flows back to the other side of the ampule." Cas tilts the hourglass to have the lesser sand globe at the top.

"But it's not moving."

"It will, soon."

"What do we do then?"

"Nothing. You just stay here with young _Sam._ I'll find Liutprand and ask him for the counter-spell."

"But I thought he's dead? Do we summon his ghost or something?" _Sam_ asked in confusion.

"No, I believe he is in heaven."

"Then how…?"

"I'm an angel, _Sam_. And I still have some connections that I can utilise…"

"You are an angel? Angels are real?!" Sam's eyes widened in great surprise. "And…I'm friend with an angel?" He looked from the older Sam to Castiel, trying to wrap all these around his head.

"Er…Cas, I thought we are not supposed to tell him that? Won't it, you know…alter the past and mess up the future…" Sam asked in concern.

"No. _As space-time contorts, the journey halts,_ " Cas recited the first half of the spell. "If I am able to find the counter-spell, he will be sent back to the exact space-time where he came from. He won't remember ever coming here. Only we would," Castiel explained.

Sam and Dean sigh in relief at this new piece of information while _Sam_ purses his lips, not sure what to make of it.

"I will be back before the sand falls," Cas promised.

"Thanks Cas." "We owe you one." Sam and Dean said while Cas nodded and left.

* * *

 **Side Note: The title of this story is supposed to be "** **Sammy + Side Story: The Journey** **" but the "+" sign wouldn't appear, so I wrote** **"** **Sammy** _ **&**_ **Side Story: The Journey" instead.**

 **Preview**

 **Coming soon… Side Story 1: The Journey Before**


	3. Side Story 1: The Journey Before

Side Story 1: The Journey Before

 _1997 Motel Apartment_

"…I will be back by tonight. Sam, practise your gun stripping till I come back," John said as he packs his bag.

"Erm…Dad? I kinda promised that I'll go to my team's soccer match this evening…"

"No, you will be practising gun stripping - till you can do it with your eyes closed."

"But…but… Can't I do it tomorrow…no..tonight. I'll do it tonight. And tomorrow. I swear I will…"

"Sam! I said practise now. If you've done more practices like I told you to, you wouldn't have problem with it yesterday!"

"That was an accident! And it was just for a moment! It just somehow got stuck when I'm…"

"Enough! This is an order. You, Sam Winchester, will practise gun stripping from now until I come back. Sometimes a second is all it takes - to save you or kill you…or us," John gave him a stern look which shuts him up at once. "Dean, make sure he does it right," John ordered.

"Yes, sir…" Dean replied and the door swings shut. Sam stood there dejectedly, facing the closed door.

"Come on, Sammy, you heard him," Dean walked to the table that is littered with firearms and began fiddling with one of them.

Sam drags himself to the table and stared resentfully at the guns.

"Want me to show you how to do it?" Dean asked.

"I know how to strip a gun, Dean," Sam said sulkily and picked up the nearest one.

He dissembled the gun half-heartedly, sighing as he did so.

"Hey, just do it properly. It's important to know how to handle your weapon in a hunt," Dean said reasonably.

"Then I don't want to hunt!" Sam dropped the parts in his hands and glared up at Dean. "Why must we learn how to hunt, Dean? Why must we become hunters like Dad? Why can't we just live a normal life like everyone else?" Sam ranted heatedly.

"Because we know what's out there! We save people. And we have to find the thing that killed mum, remember?"

"You think mum would have wanted this for us? Risking our lives fighting monsters? You think she would want us to go the same way she did?"

Bam! Dean slams the rifle he is holding back onto the table. The two of them glower at each other. Sam is still breathing heavily from the intensity of the conversation and he noticed Dean's right hand had tightened into a fist.

"Keep practicing on that damn gun," Dean commanded before walking away.

Sam continue to glare after him for a moment and then went back to disassembling the weapon.

Dean sat down at the sofa and started cleaning his own gun. The things that Sam had shouted at him earlier on are still ringing in his head. Although it is important to learn hunting and find mum's killer, Dean wants Sam to be happy. He truly wishes, from the bottom of his heart, that Sam can be a normal kid - going for a stupid high school soccer match when he wants to and having a good time with his friends, just like everyone else.

Time ticks by and Sam becomes increasingly sulky as the hour hand moves closer and closer to 5. He has been practising with the guns for two hours straight and although he still can't do it with his eyes closed, he's getting pretty good.

"Oh crap!" Sam looks up to see that Dean had accidentally spilt some oil onto himself while oiling his gun. He sees him shrugging off his stained shirt; uses it to clean away the oil on his hand; tosses it into the basket of dirty laundry; and goes straight into the shower.

The gushing sound of the water sounded from the bathroom. Sam's eyes flash up to the clock. He'll be able to make it if he leaves – right now. He looks to the bathroom; and then to the clock; and then to the gun in his hand; and then back to the clock again. What shall he do? Dad and Dean will both be so mad at him… But he did promise.

Sam drops the gun in his hand and grabs his bag, his soccer attire already inside. He then pockets his lock-picker in his back pocket – a habit ingrained into him by Dad and Dean. Then, as quietly as possible, he unlocks the door and slips right out, closing it as softly as he can. As soon as he is out, he runs flat out towards the field where the match is held.

The rushing water in the bathroom cuts off abruptly. Dean got out of the shower to find himself all alone in the house, the gun and it's parts strewn carelessly on the table. He goes over to the door to lock it back up and replenishes the salt line below it.

He sighs to himself, hoping intensely that Sam will be back before Dad does.

Dean sits by the door staring at the line of salt crystals and he smiled a small smile that nobody saw.

* * *

 **Just watched episode 12x20, can't wait for more! XD**

 **Preview**

 **Coming soon… Chapter 3: I Don't Regret This, Sam**


	4. Chapter 3: I Don't Regret This, Sam

**Previously on Chapter 2: Welcome to The Future**

… **"Thanks Cas." "We owe you one." Sam and Dean said while Cas nodded and left.**

* * *

Chapter 3  
I Don't Regret This, Sam

"Cas'll find the counter-spell right? To send me back?" _Sam_ asked uneasily after Castiel left.

"Yea, of course he will. It may not look like it, but he's pretty reliable. He'll find it for sure," Sam assured his younger self.

"Dad and Dean are gonna freak if I'd gone missing like that…" Sam muttered to himself.

"You're not wrong. But Cas already said, he'll be able to put you back exactly where and when you came from. Dad and I will never realise you went missing because you never did. Hell, you won't even remember this yourself," Dean reassured him.

 _Sam_ nodded at Dean's words, though he does not fully agree with everything that Dean had said – specifically the part where they will not realise he was missing...

"Anyway, since you won't remember any of this, I guess we're free to tell you everything without messing up the whole space-time crap," Dean said to distract _Sam_ from his worries. "Alright, Sammy, what'ya wanna know?"

"Well first of all, it's Sam, Dean. I'm 14. When will you stop addressing me like I'm an 8-year-old?" _Sam_ posted his first question as Dean successfully distracted him.

"Huh. Don't bother. S'not gonna change," Sam was the one who answered, a piece of advice from his years of experience.

"Hey _Sammy_ , remember this," Dean put an arm across his shoulders. "Even when you grow up, I still kick your ass," Dean looked up and smirked at the adult Sam.

"Ya, right. And you know what, _Sam,_ even when you grow up, your brother's still an ass," Sam retaliated.

"Shut up, I'm awesome!" Dean jokingly replied.

 _Sam_ grinned at the little banter between adult Sam and Dean. Although he can see that both adult him and Dean had changed - became more mature and…adultish, it still seems clear to him that their relationship hasn't changed much.

"Oh, by the way, where's Dad? Does he live here too?" _Sam_ asked.

Sam and Dean exchange an uneasy look as their smiles fade.

"Er… Dad, he…" Sam faltered as he tries to break it to _Sam_.

"He's out of town. Visiting an old friend," Dean lied smoothly.

Sam glanced at Dean and he understands - why Dean lied, even though _Sam_ won't remember any of this. Dean doesn't want _him_ to prematurely feel the pain for having lost their father, albeit it being temporary.

"Oh. And anyway, what is this place? Dad couldn't have bought this…" _Sam_ accepted the lie unsuspectingly, moving on to the next of his endless curiosity.

Sam and Dean sat with young _Sam_ for a long time, answering all his questions. Did they ever find the monster that killed mum?... When did he overgrow his older brother?... The kind of creatures that they had hunted over the years…

The conversation got dragged when it comes back to modern technology, for which Sam had introduced to _Sam_ \- the modern day computer. The intelligent eyes of young _Sam_ light up with fascination and amazement at all the things that can be done with that one single machine. Sam had shown him how they can hack into the traffic cameras; the local police files; and he is currently demonstrating the way to go about their usual hunting research online. It is also then that Dean decides to leave the two Sams alone for a while, engross in their geeky obsession with research and technology. He got up from his seat, mumbling something about getting some food and wanders away towards the kitchen.

"…and just press enter and…there you have it. All the news articles related to the history of this abandoned asylum since the 80s," Sam said.

"Cool…" Sam remarked again.

"You'll know all this soon enough. I started picking it up while in college."

 _Sam_ is startled for a bit by this new information.

"Hey…can I, er, ask you something?" _Sam_ lowered his voice as he said this. It is something that he wanted to ask for a while now, but it is only meant for Sam to hear.

"Sure," Sam agreed easily, somehow already knowing what _Sam_ is about to say.

"So…you…I'm going to college, right?"

"Yup."

"But… Were you telling the truth when I asked if you and Dean are hunters?"

"Yes. Somehow, things happened…and I got back into hunting after college."

"Oh… It's just… I thought I wanted to be normal… Guess that didn't work out. I'd still become a hunter, like Dad…" _Sam_ said forlornly. There's no way to escape this life after all…

Sam peers at his younger self understandingly and placed a hand on his shoulder as he said: "I know, _Sam._ Really. I know how you…how we – wanted, and tried so hard to be normal… But I realised that…that is just not our life. I don't regret this, _Sam._ I don't regret choosing hunting; …and saving people; and family, over that normal life that was never meant for me. Never meant for us…"

 _Sam_ stared at the older Sam, his eyes filled with uncertainty.

"It's hard for you to understand right now, but you will…because I did." Sam smiled at his younger self. "And whatever happens, we can still count on that jerk brother of ours to have our back," Sam added and _Sam_ cracks a smile at this.

Suddenly, Sam's phone on the table went off. "Just a moment," Sam told _himself_ and he walks away to answer the call.

 _Sam_ sat at the table for a few seconds, thinking about what Sam had just said - thinking about hunting with Dean and Dad. He then remembers something - something that had been troubling him even before he came here. Taking a deep breath, Sam stands up and goes towards the kitchen.

* * *

 **This chapter focuses more on Sam/** _ **Sam**_ **interaction (as you might have notice XD) while next chapter we'll have Dean/** _ **Sam:)  
**_ **Fun Fact: The Dean/** _ **Sam**_ **interaction in the next chapter is the one scene that popped into my head 3 weeks or so ago, which triggered me to write this story~**

 **Preview**

 **Coming soon… Chapter 4: You Are Awesome**


	5. Chapter 4: You Are Awesome

**Previously on Chapter 3: I Don't Regret This, Sam**

… **Taking a deep breath, Sam stands up and goes towards the kitchen**

* * *

Chapter 4  
You Are Awesome

 _Sam_ reaches the kitchen entrance and finds Dean rummaging through the refrigerator.

"Hey. You want anything?" Dean spotted _Sam_ after pulling out a beer and a half-eaten pie from the fridge.

"No thanks," Sam said and walks into the kitchen while Dean went to heat up the pie in the microwave.

"Er…Dean?" Dean turns around to see _Sam_ standing there awkwardly with both hands in his jacket pockets, trying (and failing) to look casual.

"Yea? What's up?" Dean asked as he recognises that stance and that uncomfortable look on _Sam's_ face. That's how _Sam_ looks like when he had done something wrong and is about to fess up to it. Though the current Sam may act a little differently, Dean can still see the resemblance in their eyes. What Dean doesn't know – is what.

"I, er..I just wanna say something..to you, now. In case, you know, _you_ get too worked up to hear me out when I get back…" _Sam_ stammered and avoided Dean's confused gaze.

"What are you talking…?"

"I'm sorry," Sam apologised abruptly.

"For?" Dean is only getting more befuddled.

"I,er…actually…just this afternoon, I, er… gave you the slip when you were looking the other way," Sam confessed.

Dean still had a perplexed look on his face as he searches through his memory for a time when that had happened. Then, Sam started speed talking as he explains himself, his hands had come out of his pocket and they become animated while he speaks.

"…Matt and Brady both begged me to go – for ages. I already rejected them once before and this time, the match with Stonewall High, it's a crucial point for the game! I know Dad ordered me to practise gun stripping, and told you to make sure I do it, cause I didn't load the bullets fast enough on that last hunt but…"

"Wait wait wait… Are you talking about that time when you ran out for a soccer match?" Dean finally remembered.

"Yea…" Sam said guiltily. "I'm sorry I ran out on you. Really. I didn't mean to get you in trouble with Dad or anything, I just… You weren't…that mad…right?" Sam asked in a small voice, peering up at Dean with his puppy-dog eyes.

Dean fights back a guffaw at the worried and guilty look on _Sam's_ face. Compared to the last few times when he and Sam had screwed (each other) up – drinking demon blood; breaking seals; killing Amy; being left in purgatory… This one, childish misdeed seemed so very insignificant.

Yet, _Sam_ is standing there, conscience-stricken, distressing about how Dean might get angry with him for slipping out to a high school soccer match.

"It's coming back to me now. I think…well, after you came back… I remember throwing a punch or two but…yea, we got over it eventually," Dean pretended to recall his reaction to that incident while _Sam_ looks a little stunned by the news.

"Dean!" The adult Sam appeared at the kitchen door. "Don't listen to him, he's just messing with you," he told _Sam_ while Dean supported his words by laughing and choking on his beer at _Sammy's_ dumbfounded expression.

"So…you weren't mad that I went AWOL on you?" Sam brightened up at the thought.

"Oh, _Sammy…_ Did you really think you could give me the slip without me knowing?" Dean said after he stopped chortling.

"What do you mean?" It's _Sam's_ turn to be confused now.

"I knew how badly you wanted to go, so I deliberately look the other way for you to sneak out," Dean revealed.

"You did?" The adult Sam said in mild surprise.

"Admit it. I'm an awesome brother," Dean said smugly to both Sams.

Sam snorts and rolls his eyes at Dean's self-proclaimed awesomeness. But _Sam_ , however, goes forward and hugs Dean around the middle, his arms wrap around Dean's waist.

"Thanks Dean. You are awesome," he said with relieve and sincere gratefulness.

Dean was dazed for a second at this unexpected move, and then he returned the hug by placing his hands on _Sammy's_ back.

Sam stands at the side, feeling rather peculiar looking at the scene in front of him. This is also the first time he gets to observe Dean's expression when they embrace. It is a face filled with love and affection.

However, his expression changes in an instant after he spotted Sam watching him.

"Jealous?" Dean mouthed at Sam in jest and Sam looks away while shaking his head with a resigned smile.

Dean ruffled _Sammy's_ hair as they broke apart. "I like you better when you're a midget," Dean commented playfully.

"Not for long," _Sam_ eyed at his 6'4" adult self in great content and Sam smiled back at him.

"Oh and good news, Cas called. He's got the spell and is on his way. We should go wait for him outside," Sam informed them.

The three of them went back to the war room to await Castiel's return. The enchanted hourglass sits stationary on the map table, greeting their arrival.

"So, you ready to head back?" Sam asked conversationally.

"Yea, I guess…" _Sam_ replied hesitantly.

"Hey, you'll be alright," Sam told him again.

"Mhm…" _Sam_ nodded slowly with a half-smile that did not reach his eyes.

The bunker door is being knocked for the second time today and Sam goes up to open it once more.

"Cas, you made it. The sand hasn't even started flowing yet," Sam said, as Cas came through the door and the both of them comes down the staircase.

"What makes you say that?" Cas replied. Sam shot him a puzzled look and then looked up at the hourglass to realise that in the past minute or so, the countdown had already begun.

The hourglass that was placed heavy-side up on the table, is exhibiting a rather unusual sight as the fewer sand at the bottom is flowing back up to the top, defying gravity, and whatever law of physics Newton had previously established.

"Cas, just in time! Knew we could count on you," Dean said delightedly.

"Ok, here goes…" Sam read out loud the counter-spell that Cas passed to him on a small piece of paper.

The flow of sand in the hourglass speeds up as Sam chanted and all the sand flowed back to the top half of the globe exactly when he had finished the spell. A bright white light appeared at the space next to _Sam_ , growing bigger and bigger till it becomes a large shining portal. _Sam_ watches it with apprehension in his eyes.

"You will return to your time once you step inside," Cas told him. _Sam_ nodded but did not move, his eyes filled with doubt and uncertainty and even a bit of fear.

"Hey, _Sammy._ Whatever happens, I always got your back," Dean said to _Sam_ , who was looking nervous. _Sam_ looks up to meet Dean's firm, reassuring gaze.

"I know," _Sam_ shares a knowing look with Sam, and then glances back at Dean, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

And with that, he steps confidently into the bright portal, which disappears in a heartbeat, along with _Sam_.

* * *

 **This is the end of the main story! The next chapter will also be the last chapter of this story~**

 **Coming soon… Side Story 2: The Journey Continues**


	6. Side Story 2: The Journey Continues

Side story 2: The Journey Continues

 _1997_

The sky is a glowing red and orange as the sun sets in the distant. Sam is heading back to the motel apartment in hurried footsteps.

Just a second ago, he had a really strange feeling, like he had forgotten something... But he brushes it off, as his mind whirled over the looming catastrophe that awaits him back in the apartment.

The worst case scenario will be that John is already home from his hunt. Sam imagine himself coming up with various excuses to cover his tracks. He had the foresight to briskly wash and change out of his soccer jersey right after the game. Will John believe him if he claims that he went out to buy a drink? But his backpack will be a giveaway... What about going for a school event that he had forgotten till after John left? Sam let out a huge sigh as he knows that John will probably see through all his lies and that he should just be prepared for whatever consequences that befall him.

However, if Sam got lucky and John isn't home yet, things may play out differently for him. Of course, Sam had to factor in another variable that is - Dean. Sam is almost certain that Dean will not tell on him when John returns. Almost - as he noted that their last conservation did not exactly end on a friendly tone. But even if Dean does not dice him out, he will still be extremely mad. And an angry Dean also means nothing good for Sam. Though, in this case, he'd rather deal with Dean than Dad as he imagine Dean will be much easier to appease. Maybe he'll take a swing or two if that makes Dean feel better...but Dad will notice if his face gets bruised... Maybe he can offer to do all the household chores; or make dinner for both of them for a week; or both...

As he busies strategizing all the possibilities in his head, he has already reached and is standing outside the front door. He tried on the door knob but as expected, it's been locked. He took a deep breath as he braces himself to face the music - the yelling...and knocks. It seems like forever, as he stood there in suspense, before the door cracks open and a part of Dean's face could be seen through the slit. It then closes again as Dean unchains it and opens the door fully.

"Wow, look who's back!" Dean exclaimed in exaggerated cheerfulness.

"Hey, Dean..." Sam greeted bashfully, giving the house a quick scan after getting in.

"You're early, Ronaldo. Dad's not home yet," Dean told him as he locked the door.

"Oh," Sam replied indifferently, though his insides just melted in relieve.

His shifts his attention now onto Dean, who doesn't seem that angry, to Sam's surprise, though he can't be sure if this is the calm before the storm or if Dean is really cool about it.

"You'd better chuck your dirty clothes underneath the laundry. I don't want to handle your corpse," Dean reminded.

"Right," Sam answered and took out his muddy clothing and hides them discreetly among the pile.

Sam turns around to see Dean sorting out the stuff in his duffel bag on the sofa. He sure doesn't look like he's angry, but Sam decides to follow through with his original plan.

"Erm, Dean? You want dinner? I can make some for us," Sam suggested.

Dean glances at the clock which shows it's nearly 7.30pm.

"No. You practice, I'll knock something up," Dean left his belongings and pushed himself off the sofa.

"Ok," Sam agreed immediately and went to pick up the gun parts on the table which are exactly where he had left them to be.

Dean goes over to the kitchen and digs out some canned food. Campbell Soup and tomato sauce sardines - sounds like a plan. He poured out the condensed chicken soup into a pot and adds water to it before heating it up. As he stirs the soup over the stove, he notices, out the corner of his eyes, Sam re-assembling the gun parts while occasionally sneaking peeks at him. Dean finds it pretty amusing to see Sam tip-toeing around him, not knowing when, or if, he is going to blow up.

Actually, Dean was on tenterhooks all evening and his heart had definitely skipped a beat when the door sounded. He had been almost as relieve as Sam when he opened the door to find his midget brother standing outside instead of their Dad.

Dean doesn't need an apology from Sam. He doesn't want one either. He did not regret in the slightest, letting Sam slipped out for the match, even if it means disobeying orders and possibly getting raged at by Dad. He is just glad that for this evening, at least, Sam could be a regular 14-year-old kid, doing 14-year-old kid stuff that he wants to do...

Sam fixes the gun while trying to inconspicuously assess Dean's mood right now. He ought to apologise for running out without a word, but he does not want to say anything that will potentially push the trigger button in Dean. He disassembled and assembled the gun for a few more times while deliberating about it.

"Er...Dean?" Just when Sam plucks up the courage, the door sounded with a familiar knock. Dad's home. Sam stops talking at once and continues on with his practice while Dean opens the door.

"Hey, Dad," Dean greeted.

"Hey," John drags his tired body over the threshold and dumps his bag on the kitchen table. He glances over to see Sam with his head down, juggling with the gun parts.

"You've been practicing?" John asked.

"Yea," Sam replied simply and he took a quick peek towards Dean, who went back to quietly stirring the soup.

"Alright then, let's see what you've got," John said as he took the parts from Sam and assembled them into one piece before handing it back to him.

Sam takes the gun confidently and began stripping it. It wasn't long before he tears it down completely and fixes it back up again. He held out the gun back to John and John picks it up and turns it over for a cursory check.

"Not bad," he complimented. "But keep on practicing. I mean it when I said you should do it with your eyes closed. You never know when you'll have to do this in the dark," John added.

"Ok," Sam replied obediently.

John nodded at Sam and turns around to look over at Dean with the soup and canned sardine on the table.

"Is that all we've got?" He sighed. "You boys eat, I'll grab some sides for ya," John said as he took his wallet and head out to the nearby convenient store.

Dean scoops the chicken soup into two bowls and opens the canned sardine. The two of them sit side by side, with Dean at one end of the table. The opened can of tomato sardine placed in between the two.

Sam stirs his soup thoughtfully while Dean is already gulping down his fifth spoon.

"Dean?" Sam took advantage of John's temporary absence and said.

"What," Dean replied shortly.

What shall Sam say? He's sorry that he ran out on him? He owes him one for not telling Dad?

"Thanks," he said in the end. Indeed, between the two, not many words are needed. They know each other so well that one simple "Thanks" is enough to convey the message, that Dean will understand.

Dean takes a quick glance at Sam and their eyes meet for a moment before they both look away. "Shut up and eat," Dean told him with a "no chick-flick moment" attitude.

"Jerk," Sam smiled.

"Bitch," Dean smiled back.

~ The End ~

* * *

 **I had a brief idea on how to write for both scenarios – one where John got home before Sam and one where he got home after. However, I thought it flows better with the main story to have it more Sam and Dean centered, so I decided on the latter~**

 **Ps: There's also the scenario where John came up behind Sam when he is standing outside the door - but that's kinda too melodramatic isn't it? I didn't want to give Sam a heart attack XD**

 **It could easily have been young Dean who got zap into the future, which will be really interesting too. But I didn't have a plot for that, unlike for young Sam, which popped readily into my mind. Hopefully, something will cross my mind cause I'll like to read the young Dean version of this story~ (unlikely tho, seeing as how I have quite a few other ideas that I wanna start on)**

 **I'm sure there are many Dean-centred time travel stories out there but being a rather picky ( & lazy) reader, it's hard to find something that exactly suits my taste *sighs* ›‹ That's one of the reasons why I started writing my own fics~ (The irony of how sometimes being lazy can become a motivation too XD)**


	7. Version 2: 23yo Dean

**Had several ideas swirling in my head for this time travel fic~ I won't be writing the whole thing from the beginning, just starting from the part after the bright light and the younger Sam &/or Dean appears~**

 _ **For this story: Younger Dean - 23 y.o.**_

* * *

Version 2  
23yo Dean

"What the…" Dean exclaimed.

The "intruder" looks wildly from Sam to Dean.

"Who.. What the hell are you?" He growled, backing into a defensive stance.

"Er… Ok… I think we have a problem…" Dean said in shock and confusion as he looks from Sam to _him_.

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing," the "intruder" pulls out a silver knife from his jacket, raising it in between them.

"Ok, there's no need to wave that thing around here," Dean said as he rises from his seat with his palm facing out.

It was a wrong move apparently, as the young one wields his blade at Dean, who counter-attacks with lightning speed, and in a matter of seconds, the blade changes hands and is now sitting at the neck of its owner, with Dean trapping him from behind.

"Dean!" Sam called out and two pairs of eyes swivel his way. "Don't hurt him," he cautioned.

"What?" _Dean_ cried in confusion as he leans as far away from the blade as possible.

"Course not," Dean replied, then he pushes _Dean_ away from him and back to a safe distance, stuffing the knife in his own pocket.

"What are you.. Where is this..? How did I get here?" He glared at the two towering figures, and he can't help but notice again that those two look very much like an older version of him and Sam. The closest that he could think of are shapeshifters, but he never heard before one that ages its victim…

"Listen… we're not monsters," Sam told him sincerely. _Dean_ turns his attention to the huge man and noticed that he had those puppy-dog eyes that makes him feels like he's telling the truth.

"Oh ya? Then why did you bring me here? And while you're at it, would you like to er, explain those faces of yours?" He shot the question at them.

"Ok, this might sound crazy but.. I think you might have… time-travelled here by accident," Sam said. "You appeared out of thin air after we found that hourglass over there," Sam pointed to the magical object on the table.

 _Dean's_ eyes widened for a moment, and then he lets out a bark of laughter.

"Time travel. …Time travel? You really think I'll buy that crap…"

"Your name is Dean Winchester. Born January 24, 1979, in Lawrence, Kansas. Your father is John Winchester and Mary Winchester is your mother, who died when you were 4. You also had a brother, Sam, born May 2, 1983," Dean briefly recited their family background.

 _Dean_ shuts up for a second as he considers the possibility.

"Fine… If you're really me, then tell me something that only I would know," he challenged.

Dean exchange a look with Sam, who shrugged his shoulders at his inability to help. Dean rummages through his memories for a few seconds and then he let out a fond smirk.

"Uh… Remember that precious Batman toy that Sammy used to have?" Dean asked _himself_.

"You mean the one that I lost?" Sam questioned.

"Yea… except you didn't lose it. I stepped on it by accident and it broke into pieces, so…"

"What?!"

"It was an accident!"

"And you didn't tell me. I was turning over the room trying to search for it," Sam said indignantly.

"Yea, you were nearly in tears when dad said we had to leave," Dean had the cheek to grin at the memory while Sam glared at his unrepentant brother.

"Ya, so, that's one," Dean turned back to _Dean_ and said.

 _Dean_ nodded slowly in seeming satisfaction.

"Ok. I believe you," he said, relaxing his stance. "So… how do I get back to my own time zone?" _Dean_ asked.

"That.. is a very good question," Dean replied and looked towards Sam.

Then, just as Sam and Dean look away from _Dean_ , he knocked down the two chairs in between them and dashes towards the staircase.

"Son of a…" Dean muttered as he and Sam ran after the runaway.

While they were talking, _Dean_ had inconspicuously checked the place out and noticed the exit upstairs. He nearly made it out too, if not for the heavy metal door. Dean grabs the back of his jacket and _Dean_ swings back an elbow, aiming at the face. However, Dean easily catches the attacking arm and twists it to his back, pinning him against the door.

"Look, I know this is hard to believe but…" Sam began saying but was cut off rudely.

"You really think I'm stupid, don't you? I know you freaks can read minds, alright! So cut the role-playing, story-telling crap - what do you want?!" _Dean_ shouted agitatedly.

"Ok, this is going nowhere…" Dean said impatiently before hitting _himself_ on the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.

"Dude! You just knocked yourself out!" Sam exclaimed.

"You got a better idea? Gimme a hand…" Dean said as he tried to haul his younger self over his back.

 _Dean_ felt a tugging on his wrists and he opens his eyes to an aching pain in his head. "Urgh…" he groaned and tries to reach for the tender spot but realised that his hands are currently being tied to the back of a chair. He immediately tried to struggle free but it's too late.

"Hey, handsome, you're awake," Dean walks around from behind the chair after securing the ropes.

 _Dean_ glares at the older version of himself and at the adult version of Sam, who is sitting on an opposite chair facing him. Dean grabs a chair beside Sam and sits down too. Keeping his cool despite the situation, _Dean_ feels for the lock-picker in his back pocket. He knows what he should do - talk and buy time while he cuts himself free. Facing his two captors, he changes his expression into a haughty, disdainful look.

"So, what kind of monsters are you? Grumpy, Sneezy, or Douchey?" He wondered. It is important to know what he's up against, in order to know how to kill them too.

"I don't know about myself, but this one here can do a Snow White," Dean joked, then added to Sam, "I don't know why you even bother, Sam, we could just lock him up while we find a way to zap him back."

Sam rolled his eyes at his older, older brother and then turns around to give the other one a serious, yet sincere look.

"We weren't lying before - look, I'll prove it to you…" And Sam proceeds to show _Dean_ the kinds of technologies that hadn't existed in the past, like smart phone and laptop; and a current newspaper with a recent date printed on its front. Dean brings out several weapons of his that are a lot more battered but exactly the same as the one that _Dean_ has had and also, dad's journal. After much evidence, the younger _Dean_ finally starts to believe this unbelievable.

"Wow. This is…" he is at a loss for words.

"Ya. Even for us, it's pretty crazy," Sam said in agreement.

 _Dean_ had loosened the ropes around his hands by now. Though, he isn't sure if he should make another run for it like what he'd originally planned. He lets out a contemplative sigh as his eyes flash towards the door.

"You cut those ropes yet?" Dean asked casually and _Dean_ looks at him with a start.

"Why didn't you take it away if you knew I had it?" He asked as he shook off the ropes and brings his hands to the front, leaning forward in his chair as he twirls the lock-picker in his fingers.

"Cause you'll need time to cut those ropes and we need you listen," Dean told him simply. "Besides, I'll just drag you back if you try to run," he said confidently. "So, are we on the same page or do we have to tie you down for real?"

"Yea, I believe you," _Dean_ finally decided, for real this time. There have been more than enough times when they could have killed him and yet they didn't. Also, there's really no reason for them to go through all those troubles to convince him of their identity if they're really some kind of monster.

"So, what now?" _Dean_ asked.

"Uhh… So, we need to get you back, obviously," Sam said.

"I'll call Cas, see if he knows anything," Dean said and steps aside to make the call.

"Who's Cas? He a hunter?" _Dean_ asked.

"Er… Something like that… Look, I don't think we should just.. let you in on everything around here cause, you know, there may be that.. time travel, butterfly effect…" Sam explained.

"O..k. Whatever, Einstein," _Dean_ said.

 _Dean_ throws his legs on top the table in a relaxing manner and glances around the bunker with interest, though he kept from asking about the place. Eventually, his eyes landed back on Sam in a thoughtful kind of way.

"What?" Sam shot at him, noticing his gaze and feeling self-conscious.

"So… we're talking again," _Dean_ said, looking at his older self, then back to Sam.

"Why.. wouldn't we be?" Sam asked curiously.

"Oh geez, I dunno. Maybe cause somebody got a full ride to Stanford and ran out in the middle of the night?" _Dean_ replied sarcastically, with just a hint of bitterness.

"Right…" Sam remembered.

"Right," _Dean_ echoed after him. "It wouldn't kill you to pick up a friggin' phone you know," he then added.

"How old are you, _Dean_?" Sam inquired.

"23," _Dean_ said.

"So, I'm 19," Sam did a quick mental calculation.

"Yup. Haven't seen you in a while actually. Why, college didn't work out? Even Stanford can't stand the Sam-level geekiness, huh?" _Dean_ gibed, though it is easy to see the curiosity behind his joking manner.

"Hey, Cas says he's around the corner, probably drop by in an hour or two," Dean came back into the library.

"This Cas dude knows how to get me back?" _Dean_ asked.

"Maybe," Dean replied vaguely.

After that, Sam passes young _Dean_ the carved-out book to search for possible counter-spells while he and Dean look through the rest of the stacks in the shelves. The bunker door creaks open not long after.

"Cas. Thanks for coming, man. Uh, this is…"

"You - from the year 2002," Cas gave the younger _Dean_ a piercing stare which the latter finds kind of creepy, like he was being x-rayed with those eyes.

The brothers filled him in on the hourglass and Cas suggested getting the counter-spell from its maker, Liutprand before the time runs out.

"How are we gonna get the spell from a dead guy? We summoning his ghost or something?" _Dean_ asked in confusion.

"No, I believe he is in heaven."

"Then how the…?"

"I'm an angel, _Dean_. And I still have some connections that I can utilise…"

"I'm sorry, you're a what?"

"An angel."

 _Dean_ stared at him with widened eyes.

"Get outta here. There's no such thing," _Dean_ snorted in disbelief and shuffled back a little to put more space between him and the self-proclaimed angel. He looks to the two other humans for confirmation but received none.

"Er…Cas, I thought we're not supposed to tell him that? Won't it, you know…alter the past and mess up the future…" Sam asked with concern.

"No. _As space-time contorts, the journey halts,_ " Cas recited the first half of the spell. "If I am able to find the counter-spell, he will be sent back to the exact space-time where he came from. He won't remember ever coming here. Only we would," Castiel explained.

Sam and Dean sigh in relief at this new piece of information while _Dean_ is still trying to wrap his head around the whole angel thing.

"I'll be back before the sand falls," Cas promised. He locked eyes with his two friends and then with young _Dean_ , who looks back in a wary, distrustful kind of way that reminds Cas so much of their eventual first meeting at that abandoned warehouse. How much he had changed… How much they have all changed…

"Thanks Cas." "We owe you one." Sam and Dean said while Cas nodded and left.

"Angel? Seriously?! I mean time-travel is one thing but a, a trench-coated-dude-angel?!" _Dean_ immediately rounded on the two after the door slammed shut.

"Welcome to the future," Dean told him.

"The human body that you saw was a vessel…" Sam went on to patiently explain while Dean went to grab some beer for them all, especially young _Dean_ \- he's gonna need it.

"… So Cas, the angel, we can really trust him to get that counter-spell?" _Dean_ asked.

"Yea. It may not look like it, but he's reliable. He'll find it," Dean assured his younger self.

"If you say so," _Dean_ sighed acceptingly, "Dad's gonna freak if he knows I'm stuck in the future…" he muttered to himself.

"You're not wrong," Dean agreed.

"But Cas already said, he'll be able to put you back exactly where and when you came from. Dad will never realise you went missing because you never did. You won't even remember this yourself," Sam added reassuringly and _Dean_ nodded at his words, feeling reassured.

"By the way, where's dad?" _Dean_ asked, "Bet he'll be surprised to see me," he smiled as he imagined the look of surprise on his old man's face.

Both the older hunters stiffened a little at his enquiry.

"Dad's out of town. Visiting an old friend, some hunter he met on a job," Sam lied smoothly.

Dean glanced at Sam and he understands - why Sam lied, even though _Dean_ won't remember any of this. Sam doesn't want _him_ to prematurely feel the pain of having lost their father, albeit it being temporary.

"Ah... Is he still hunting though? He must be like, what, in his sixties?" _Dean_ continued asking.

"Ya, sometimes.. You know dad, nothing'll keep him down," Sam replied with a casual smile and a shrug of his shoulders.

"Who's he visiting anyway? Do I know him?" _Dean_ wondered.

"No. Dad met him a couple years ago, while on a case. Hunting a Wendigo or something - in Colorado," Sam elaborated.

"Oh," _Dean_ replied, and casts a lingering look at Sam's relaxing stance.

Dean noticed, and he looks down with an internal sigh.

The younger _Dean_ took a sip from his bottle and after letting it down, he lets out a snort and a smirk.

"You got better," he said, while Sam gave him a questioning look. "At lying to me?" He raised his eyebrows at his not-so-little brother. "Lots of practices over the years huh," he joked.

"I'm not lying," Sam put on a nonchalant face and a convincing "not lying", off-handed huff of laughter.

 _Dean_ ignores him and takes a swing of his beer. Then, he has his eyes cast down as the beer hang loosely in his hand. And he nodded slowly, knowingly.

"What happened?" He asked, after deciding that he could keep his voice steady.

"I told you, he's fine…"

"What happened?" _Dean_ cut across Sam's blundering and leaned forward to look straight into Dean's eyes.

Sam twists his whole torso to face Dean and Dean doesn't have to look over to feel the hinting message in his brother's eyes.

Dean: "Yellow-eye demon."

Sam: "Dean!"

"A demon?" _Dean_ asked, his hunter side revealing itself.

" _The_ demon. The same demon that killed mum," Dean specified.

The younger man unconsciously clutches the beer bottle in his hand and clenches his jaw as the information sinks in. The demon that killed mum had killed dad too. He forcefully takes another sip of the drink as he looks away from the two future persons.

"I'll kill it," he swore in a low voice, with vengeance in his heart.

"You did. I mean, I did. You will," Dean told him and his expression changes to surprise for a moment before hardening again.

"Good," he growled, glaring into the empty space. The darkness in his eyes is frightening, promising of hate and violence. But also, both brothers can see too clearly, the pain in his face that he is struggling to keep under control. With a last tip of the bottle, it is emptied to its brim.

 _Dean_ gives the bottle a deliberate twirl to bring to attention of its emptiness.

"You have more of this?" He asked conversationally.

"Yea, in the fridge…" Dean replied and the younger _Dean_ stood up before he finished his sentence.

"You want a second?" _Dean_ asked swiftly.

"Sure," Dean replied.

"Sammy?" He then asked casually while his body is already turning towards the exit.

"Ya… ok," Sam said while carefully observing his younger, older brother.

"Ok," _Dean_ nodded and heads towards the back of the bunker.

"Turn right you'll walk right past it," Dean points him the direction.

He raises a thumb in acknowledgement and goes out of view as he makes a turn at the exit. Escaping. No doubt that's exactly what he's doing, and he didn't even manage it as smoothly as he could. This shows just how overwhelmed he is feeling right now, that he had to so crudely remove himself from others' company.

The two older hunters sat quietly in their seats as they listen to the quickly fading footsteps.

Two seconds after the sound disappeared completely, Sam lets out a sigh and made to get up from his seat.

"Where're you going?" Dean questioned and Sam gestured towards the kitchen in an expression that says - "Obviously.".

"Why did you tell him for?" Sam accused unhappily.

"He already knew, I was just giving a bit of detail! He won't remember it anyway," Dean defended himself, "It's not my fault you sucked at your lies…" he muttered under his breath.

Sam rolled his eyes and made to stand up again.

"Dude, sit down. Give him some time," Dean told him.

" _You're_ messed up. You can't just leave him there…"

"Fine, I'll go. You stay," Dean said as he pushes himself off the chair, "He'll rather it be me than you, trust me."

"Dean," Sam called out.

"What?"

"Don't tell him," Sam looked at Dean with meaningful eyes. And Dean understood. Don't tell him about dad's deal for his life. Don't tell him about the demon's plan for Sam. Don't tell him.

"Ok," Dean promised as he walks away.

Dean found him in the kitchen, holding the door of the opened fridge while standing rigidly on the spot, shoulders tense and hands tightened into balls of fists.

"Dude, you're gonna let all the air out," Dean said, and he sees _Dean_ jumps a little at his voice before swinging the door shut.

"Hey. You gettin' something?" _Dean_ managed to keep his expression nonchalant, as he turned around to face Dean.

"No. Sam wants to check on you," Dean told him straight, not participating in his masking attempt.

 _Dean_ looks around his shoulders, expecting to see another figure.

"He's in the library. I told him you'd rather it be me, m' I wrong?" He asked rhetorically.

 _Dean's_ expression relaxes a little, knowing that Sam is not here, but the mask is still in place.

"I'm fine," he said reflexively and Dean raised an eyebrow.

"You keep telling yourself that," he said as a joke, and then more seriously, "It's ok you know, there's no one else here. We've got a gun range at the back, you can give a go at it if you want," Dean offered.

The younger one looks away for a moment. He is afraid to know, but he has to, so he asked, "How it happened?"

"I told you, the yellow-eyed demon," Dean repeated. But that is not enough.

"Where were you?" The younger _Dean_ glared at the older one in an accusatory stare, walking up to him and standing at a confrontational distance, as though he's going to start swinging if he doesn't like what he hears.

"Sam doesn't want me telling you…"

"Tell me," he commanded fiercely, no room for negotiation in his voice.

"We were in a hospital, Dad, Sam and I. We just had one round with the demon and were in a bad shape. And dad… he went after it. By himself," Dean told him, skipping over the part about the demon deal, as promised to Sam.

 _Dean_ began pacing around in the kitchen as Dean spoke. He squeezes his eyes shut and takes in deep, heavy breaths as he thinks about dad going after the demon by himself.

"Yea, that sounds like him," he said in a thick voice, forcing a smile that is painful to look at.

Watching himself at the side, Dean's heart feels heavier, knowing exactly how _Dean_ feels, and worse. He doesn't even know the real reason behind dad's deal, yet he is already this bad. Dean wondered idly how did he ever survive that dreadful time.

Walking over to stand right in front of _Dean_ , he said, "Hey, listen." But the other _Dean_ is looking away, his eyes overshadowed with grief.

"Listen to me!" Dean grabs him by his shoulders, forcing him to focus. "Look, it's hard, I know. I really do. It's like there's something eating at you from the inside and nothing can get rid of it. Not revenge, not hunting - nothing. But I can tell you, Dad's at a better place now, and he'll want you to keep going," Dean told him in a firm voice and the younger man stare at him silently with an unreadable expression.

"You keep fighting. You take what dad taught you and you do what you do best - the family business. You, and Sam, you stick together and you watch each other's' backs and you just keep swinging…" As he listens to Dean's speech, his breathing began to slow and although his heart is still aching, he felt calmer, and lighter.

"Is this really me talking?" He said in awe and Dean smirked at the amazement in his voice.

"Yea, I'm awesome," Dean squeezes his shoulders reassuringly before patting them twice and finally letting his arms drop back to his sides. "You ready to head out now? Before Sammy comes running in with some chick-flick moments?" Dean asked.

"Ya, we wouldn't want that," _Dean_ snorted and pulls out three bottles of beers from the fridge, passing one over to Dean before leaving for the library.

"Here," _Dean_ puts the bottle in front of Sam, who was flipping at a book.

"Thanks," Sam replied, looking tentatively from one Dean to another. "You alright?" He asked the younger one in a supposedly casual tone.

"Peachy. And you didn't tell me, what's the deal with Stanford?" He asked, steering away from the heavy topic to one that is less heavy now in comparison.

"Stanford?" Dean asked, having missed their earlier conversation.

"Yea. He went to get a "normal life" right? Why come back?" _Dean_ pressed on and Sam and Dean exchanged a look.

"That.. is a long story…" Sam sighed.

"All ears," _Dean_ leaned forward in great interest.

"Well, so… you came to look for me one night, at my place…" Sam began.

"I went to find you? At Stanford?" _Dean_ cut across him.

"Ya… Why do you sound so surprised?" Sam wondered.

"Cause… Huh. I didn't think I'll do that," _Dean_ replied, sparring a curious glance at Dean.

"Cause you seemed pretty set on that whole school-thing, so I thought you deserve a shot at it. Dad didn't say, but I know he thought that too," Dean elaborated on what was left unsaid by young _Dean_.

"Oh… Thanks," Sam said a little awkwardly, but still, gratefully.

"No problem," Dean replied smoothly.

 _Dean_ looks upon the two future brothers in a curious way. No doubt both of them had changed, matured over the years and it seems like they got even closer, and more open with each other than they were in their youth. It feels strange, but nice too, in a way. _Dean_ knows that it is probably selfish of him to think this way but he is secretly happy that Sam had decided to return to the "family business", that they would stick together like a family. Though, he still couldn't really see how his _Sam_ will willingly come back to this life that he so desperately wanted out from.

"So, I went to find you and you came back, just like that? That doesn't sound like the Sam I know," _Dean_ urged him to continue the story.

And Sam told him about their missing dad and how they were worried that something happened to him, thus leading them on an extended road trip in search of John. He also conveniently left out the part where Jess died, to spare _Dean_ the horror of that part of the story.

Sam and Dean sat with young _Dean_ for a long time, answering all his questions and leaving out parts that are too depressing or horrifying. There's no need to cause him unnecessary pain when he couldn't do anything about it anyway.

 **Wait, you're saying vampires are real?… What?! So mum was a hunter?!… We are legacy of the what?… Oh, so you're buddies with angels** _ **and**_ **you've got the King of Hell on speed dial?!...**

"Hey, you sure you want to hear more? Or should we call it a day?" Dean asked when _Dean_ looks like he just got his mind blown twenty times in a row after all the Q &As.

"Wow. This is.. this is crazy…" _Dean_ mumbled in a daze.

"That's what I say," Dean quipped while Sam rolls his eyes at him.

Just then, the door opens again and Cas has returned. A bright portal appeared after Dean recited the counter-spell.

"So, I guess I'll get going then," _Dean_ bid them farewell.

"Oh, wait…" Dean suddenly remembered. "You'll need this." He pulls the silver knife out of his pocket and handed it back to _Dean_.

"Thanks," he said as he kept it inside his pocket.

"See you soon, _Dean_ ," Sam said.

 _Dean_ smiled at him while nodded at the other two before stepping into the portal, heading back and towards the crazy that'll be his life.

~ The End ~

* * *

 **Next story will be featuring both younger Sam and younger Dean, and it'll link back to the side stories so Dean will be 18 and Sam 14~**

 **Writer's Random Rant (!Season 13 Spoilers!): It's hellatus again, 38+ days to the next ep~~›‹ When I first saw the "Bad Place" AU, I was thinking "This has the purgatory vibe, but in a rainforest." then, I saw the footprint and thought, "Oh! They're in Jurassic Park! Dinos~~" XD And the "Initiation Part 1" video is hilarious! I think I rewatched it 4x in a row and then twice again the next day XD**


	8. Version 3: 14yo Sam & 18yo Dean

**Happy New Year guys! It's 2018!~~ ^^**

 **Note: This version does refers to Side story 1. It was right after the younger _Sam_ and _Dean_ fought in the motel apartment in Side story 1 when they got time-travelled into the bunker.**

* * *

Version 3  
14yo Sam & 18yo Dean

"What the…" Dean exclaimed as 2 beings appeared in the bunker out of nowhere.

"What is that…?" "Where are we…? Who are you?" The two "intruders" blabbered in shock and confusion.

Sam and Dean stared at them with wide eyes and dropped jaws as they recognise those two teenagers.

"What are you and what do want?" The older of the two demanded, as both of them back into a defensive stance against the wall. He felt around his pockets but did not seem to find what he wanted.

"Whoa, it's ok, we're not the bad guys," Dean said as he stood up from his seat with his palms up. Apparently, it was a wrong move as he looks even more threatening now, towering over both teenagers.

The older one jumps forward, fist swinging, but Dean avoided it with lightning speed, catching the attacking fist and twisting it to his back. Undeterred, the teen wields his other fist but it got caught like the first and before he knows it, he is pressed, face down onto the table, with both his hands locked securely behind his back.

" _Dean_!" A panicked voice shouted from behind, and the younger, and much shorter teen started towards Dean. However, Sam intercepts him before he reaches them.

" _Sam_! No! Urg…!" _Dean_ yelled and struggled against his captor but he is simply too strong, locking him securely in place. "Don't touch him, you son of a bitch!" He cried in heightened frustration as he watches the giant man overpowers his little brother, holding _Sam_ from behind by clinging both his skinny arms around his long, muscular ones. Like _Dean_ , _Sam_ struggles uselessly against the unbreakable hold.

 _Dean_ trashes wildly against Dean, using all his might to break free, oblivious to the increased pain in his locked wrists.

"Dude, you're gonna break your wrists," Dean warned.

"Let him go!" _Dean_ ignored the warning as he growled at Sam.

"Ok, ok! Calm down…" Sam said appeasingly as he lets go of the younger _Sam_ while Dean releases his younger self too.

The younger brothers immediately return to each other's' side as they retreat into a corner, back to back as they face their much stronger opponents as a united front.

"You alright?" _Dean_ asked while keeping his eyes fixed upon the threats, especially Sam, who he is glaring daggers at for daring to lay his hands on his kid brother.

"Fine. You?" _Sam_ asked in return.

"Awesome," _Dean_ replied while rotating his wrists gingerly. They are aching a little but fortunately, unbroken.

" _Dean_ , they're good," _Sam_ said in a low, cautious voice.

"Well, thank you, captain obvious," _Dean_ replied back.

"Guys, listen… We don't want to hurt you. You need to calm down. Let's talk about this," Sam said sincerely.

"Huh. Then why kidnap us here? For tea parties?" _Dean_ said sarcastically. "What are you?" he raised his voice.

"What… We're people, alright, not monsters," Dean told him.

"Not monsters… So you guys are… hunters?" _Sam_ wondered.

"Well… yes, we are," Sam confirmed.

"How.. Why bring us here?" _Dean_ asked again.

"Actually, you just er, fell out of thin air," Dean replied.

"But I think we have an idea what made that happen," Sam look at Dean and then at the hourglass.

"Oh crap… Why can't it just be some stupid old timer like it should be," Dean groaned.

"What are you talking about?" _Dean_ asked, confused.

"It's…a long story," Sam sighed.

"Whatever. We're going. C'mon, _Sam_ ," _Dean_ said as he takes his strides towards the stairs, pulling _Sam_ along with him.

"Whoa hey, wait there, cowboy," Dean stood in his way.

"Get out of my way," _Dean_ glared at him warningly, hands coming up in front of him, prepared for attack or defence.

"You can't go," Dean said.

"Why not?" _Dean_ challenged.

"Because this is not the world that you know! You won't be able to return to… wherever you were by walking out that door," Dean told them.

"What?!" _Dean_ had not understood a single word he just said.

"It's hard to believe, but er, we are…"

"D… Hey! Can I, er, talk to you for a sec?" Sam cuts across Dean and looked at him meaningfully.

"Sure," Dean understood and then he turned to the boys. "We're underground and that is the only exit," he pointed to the door upstairs. "You'll have to get past us to reach it, which you won't. So stay here, for like.. five minutes," Dean told them.

The two adult brothers walked to the above platform, still in sight of the two at the bottom, and a whispered conversation ensued.

Dean: "What the hell?!"

Sam: "That hourglass. It must be some kind of enchanted object."

Dean: "Cursed object more like…"

Sam: "Yea, but Dean, I don't think we should tell _them_ about… us. That we are _them_. It may, you know, change the past, which will cause distortions in _their_ future - our present…"

Dean: "Ok… ok, I get it. But then what now?"

Sam: "*sighs* I'll call Cas, see if he knows anything."

Dean: "Ok. I'll, er, try to settle those two."

Sam left behind to make the call while Dean went back down to find their two counterparts having their own little meeting. He can't hear what they are saying but there seems to be a disagreement. They instantly stop talking as Dean approaches.

"Everything alright?" Dean asked.

"None of your business," _Dean_ replied rudely.

"Ok… Anyway, we're finding a way to send you back. So, for now, just sit back and make yourselves at home," Dean told them,

"Why don't you just let us out and we'll send ourselves back, what you say?" _Dean_ made a counteroffer.

"Sorry kid, can't do that," Dean replied.

"Why not? You said you want to get us back, didn't you?" _Sam_ chirped in.

"Yea, I did. Look, I don't want you here any more than you do…"

"Then let us go!" _Dean_ exclaimed exasperatedly.

"I can't do that," Dean said.

"Why?" _Sam_ demanded.

"Because… Just trust me on this, ok," Dean sighed heavily as he tried to sustain his fast-depleting patience at dealing with those two.

"Trust you, ha," _Dean_ let out a humourless laugh. "I know why you catch us here, you freaks. You got a beef with our dad, isn't it? You're trying to get him here by using us as bait!" _Dean_ assumed.

"What?! No! No, seriously," Dean assured them as Sam came up from behind, having finished his call.

"Cas'll be reaching in an hour or two," he whispered to Dean.

"I'll stay, let him go," _Dean_ said.

" _Dean_ , no!" _Sam_ objected at once but was hushed by a deadly glare from his brother.

"What are they talking…?" Sam asked, confused.

"They thought we're using them as bait for da.. for their dad," Dean updated Sam on their latest theory with a roll of his eyes.

"What?!" Sam exhibited the same reaction as Dean when he first heard of this.

"Let him go, alright? He's just a kid," _Dean_ said again as he slowly moves closer to the stairs with every side-step he takes and with Sam half a step behind him.

"I told you, that's not what's happening over here, we're not using you as bait," Dean explained again.

Then, out of a sudden, _Dean_ topples two library chairs in between them and the other two.

"Run!" He gave _Sam_ a quick push towards the stairs as he lowered his stance in preparation to keep the two at bay. But _Sam_ didn't run.

"No!" He said firmly.

"I said go!" _Dean_ exclaimed in panicked frustration.

"Ya, and I said no!" _Sam_ retorted stubbornly, feet planted steadily on the floor.

The current version of Sam and Dean were about to take them down again but seeing as how _Sam_ is determined not to run, they changed course and block the exit instead.

"Great… Perfect!" Dean straightened up and throws his hands in the air in annoyance at the roadblock which ruined his Plan B. "I thought we had a plan, man! What's wrong with you?!" He raged at _Sam._

"No, _you_ had a plan! I said I'm not leaving you behind," _Sam_ countered.

So this was what they were secretly arguing about, Dean thought.

"Right, cause we should just cuddle up and die together, is that so?" Dean countered back.

"Guys, stop, nobody's dying around here, alright!" Dean said in a definite way. "And your dad's not involved in this either. You guys have to just sit around for a couple hours and you'll get back to where you came from, I promise," Dean repeated, noticing the disbelieving snort coming from young _Dean_. "I don't want to do it, but if you run, I'll tie you down and I know my knots, believe me," he threatened mildly, looking straight at his younger self as he said so, and seeing a pair of defiant eyes glaring back.

Then, he drags a chair and the carved-out book and sits right in front of the only staircase to the exit, flipping through the book in an attempt to look for a counter-spell.

There was an awkward silence following Dean's speech, which was then broken by Sam.

"Err, you guys can just sit, and chill, and nobody will get hurt. It's confusing, I know. I'm sorry, but we have our reason we can't explain everything to you," Sam told them evenly.

"Reason like you guys are actual psychopaths?" _Dean_ scoffed and Sam considers him with an amused smile.

"Hey, are all these books yours?" Came young _Sam's_ voice from beside the shelves.

"Hey.. no, you can't read them!" Sam started towards young _Sam_ who was looking at the book titles with great interest.

"You stay away from him," _Dean_ growled as he stationed himself between Sam and _Sam_.

"Ok! Ok, easy… I wasn't gonna hurt him," Sam took a step back just as _Sam_ steps away from the shelves. Sam knew better than to make a further move towards the kid when _Dean_ has got those looks in his eyes. Even though he can definitely take down this _Dean_ , no problem, it will be a pointless and unnecessary fight, so he's avoiding it if possible.

"Where did you get all these books? They're all records of supernatural stuff, right?" _Sam_ peered around _Dean_ as he asked with clear enthusiasm in his voice.

"Hey, bro, can you lay off that nerdiness for like 5 seconds? We're being held captives right now if you haven't noticed," _Dean_ said to _Sam_.

"I'm just asking," _Sam_ shrugged off-handedly. "Hey! Let go!..." _Sam_ then hollered as _Dean_ yanked him away from Sam and sat them down at a further table.

"Sit, and don't touch anything," _Dean_ told him.

"Stop dragging me around, Dean!" _Sam_ hissed irritably as he shakes off Dean's hand and plopped down on a chair next to him.

Both Sam and Dean look upon the familiar scene with amusement. Sam then found himself a time-travel related book and sat down at the other table as he flips through its pages.

"This is like some crazy collection of a hunter's library, isn't it, _Dean_? Even Uncle Bobby doesn't have this many books at his place," _Sam_ said, and it is easy to hear the amazement in his voice, like he's simply itching to lay his hands on these books.

"Yea, but Mr Bigfoot over there says no touching so stop drooling over dusty covers, geek brother," _Dean_ told him. _Sam_ pouted unhappily as he continues looking around the stacks of incredible book collections sitting in their midst.

Sam raised his eyebrows at _Dean_ , who did not know this himself, but he'd just managed to name-call him twice in one sentence. And at the other end of the room, Dean is smirking quietly as he silently approved of his younger self's attitude.

"And I'm not done with you. Next time I say run, _you run_ , you hear me?" _Dean_ said to him seriously.

"And I'm telling you, _no_. We either both get out of here or we stay and fight – _together_ ," _Sam_ said to him in equal seriousness.

"Those guys are friggin' kungfu warriors, you want to go at them head on?! I'm not telling you to run and never come back, I'm saying go and get help. Call dad, and come back with a plan," _Dean_ reasoned.

"What if they kill you?" _Sam_ challenged.

"If they're looking for bait, a dead one won't do them much good!" _Dean_ told him.

Meanwhile, Dean had come over to the library to look for more books.

"Fine, next time I'll stay and you go and get help," _Sam_ told him.

"No," _Dean_ shot him down immediately.

"Why not?" _Sam_ retorted.

"Cause… Cause you're a midget, that's why," _Dean_ blabbered.

"What?!" _Sam_ exclaimed exasperatedly.

"What, you think you can hold them off? They'll just walk over you and get to me before I reach the first step on the stairs! So, I should stay. It's call being strategic, _genius_ ," _Dean_ said.

"It's not. It's stupid and it won't work," _Sam_ concluded.

"Actually, kid, it might work. Not over here of course, but maybe in another scenario. You run fast enough and he might just hold them off long enough for you to escape, and get help. When the opponent's too strong, you've got to do the Plan B and call for back-up," Dean told _Sam_.

"See, even the bad guy says so!" _Dean_ said and Dean rolled his eyes while _Sam_ pouted unhappily, but couldn't come up with a convincing enough argument just yet.

However, Sam, like _Sam_ , didn't agree with the Deans.

"That's a crap plan. They should have laid low and figure out what the bad guys really want before making a move. What if they weren't looking for a bait, like what they'd wrongly assumed over here? A wrong move may just set those monsters off and kill the one that's left behind," Sam argued.

"What he said," _Sam_ smirked at _Dean_ , pointing at the older him.

"Whatever, smartass," Dean quipped at the adult Sam and went to sit down beside him at the same table. Both of them are sitting in the way to the exit, which makes it impossible for the teens to escape.

 _Sam_ still has a triumphant grin on his face, thus earning himself a kick on the leg from under the table.

"Ow!" He complained and tried to get back at _Dean_ but failed as _Dean_ had quickly moved out of his leg-range.

"So, you guys are really not using us as bait? You're just some usual pschos that like to kidnap people for fun?" _Dean_ sneered.

Although it is sometimes hard to differentiate who's the bad guy and who's not, both _Sam_ and _Dean_ could tell that the two trained fighters that are holding them there are not the malicious type, despite all the secrecy and confinement. Even so, they aren't letting their guard down as they can't be 100% sure.

"No. Really. We'll get you out of here as soon as we can," Sam told him.

"But you can't tell us why," _Sam_ said.

"Sorry," Sam replied.

"Hey. Do I know you?" _Dean_ suddenly asked as he fixes his eyes upon Dean. Now that things have calmed down a little, he couldn't help but see the resemblance between them.

Sam and Dean exchanged a brief look.

"Not yet," was Dean's carefully careless reply. And he wasn't exactly lying.

Both the younger brothers began to zoom in onto Dean, eyes roaming over the somewhat familiar features of the supposed stranger.

"Never seen handsome before? Stop starring," Dean began to feel self-conscious at their scrutiny.

"Dean, were you adopted?" _Sam_ blurted out.

"Dude!" _Dean_ exclaimed in outrage.

"No, really, you look just like him, it's kind of creepy…" _Sam_ spoke the truth. "Mister, what's your name," he asked Dean.

"Thomas," Dean replied, swiftly and naturally.

 _Sam_ : "Last name?"

Dean: "Smith."

 _Dean:_ "Thomas Smith?"

Dean: "That's me."

However, the two youngsters continue to be doubtful, and rightly so.

"Are you a shapeshifter?" _Sam_ asked all of a sudden - the latest theory.

"Shapeshifters don't age their victims, Sammy," Dean replied and the young ones look even more suspicious now. Sam had to literally force himself not to kick Dean under the table. That nickname that he just used, along with that tone, was so "Dean", he might as well admit already that yes - he is Dean Winchester.

"He even sounds like you… Dean, does dad have a brother?" _Sam_ asked.

"You know as well as I, his old man bailed on him when he was a kid. So, who knows?" _Dean_ shrugged his ignorance.

"So… he could be our uncle?" _Sam_ wondered. "Mr Smith, who's your biological father?"

"Ok! That's it! I am _not_ your uncle, or father, or some long-lost relative of either of you. Some people just look alike, alright!" Dean is getting jumpy and annoyed from all their wild guesses and continued probing. "Now shut up so I can read this stupid book," Dean said, and he shifts his chair to an angle such that they could only see a small side view of his face.

The room fell silent again – for 2 minutes.

"When do you think dad'll be back?" _Sam_ asked _Dean_.

"He said tonight, didn't he," _Dean_ replied, sparing a glance at his watch. "My watch's dead," he gave it a little shake, but the hands wouldn't budge.

"Mine's too," _Sam_ looked down at his own watch. "It's stuck at 3.04."

"3.04? Same here," _Dean_ raises his hand to show _Sam_ his watch.

"That was around the time we got here, right?" _Sam_ said.

"I guess… Hey, Sasquatch, what's the time now?" _Dean_ asked Sam.

"3.47," Sam told him after a glance at his watch.

"We've been here for 40 minutes," _Sam_ muttered to themselves.

"Where are we, exactly?" _Dean_ directed his question at Sam again, who seemed hesitant to tell him.

"Oh, come on! You can't even tell us where we are?!" _Dean_ complained.

It wasn't so much a matter of where, but when…

"We're still on earth, right?" _Sam_ asked in a half-serious kind of way.

"Yes, you're still on the continent of USA," Sam could tell him that much at least.

"Which state?" _Dean_ asked.

"I can't tell you, stop asking," Sam replied shortly and he groaned again in frustration, slumping against his chair.

Both _Sam_ and _Dean_ are obviously bored by the lack of activity as they sit in their chairs, tapping their feet on the bunker's floor, unable to even read a book even though there are at least a few thousands all around them. So, they end up making small talks again.

"Hey, _Dean_ , if we make it back in time, I'm going for that soccer match," _Sam_ told him, not knowing just how accurate his statement was, if taken the right way.

"You mean if we _ever make it back at all_ ," _Dean_ corrected him.

"Does that mean you'll let me go? You won't tell dad?" _Sam_ sat up straighter, with his eyes lighting up with hope.

"No! That's not what I said! If we _do_ make it back, you better hope you have enough time to practice on those guns before dad comes home or your ass will be his soccer ball," _Dean_ scoffed while _Sam_ kicks the leg of his chair since he couldn't reach his actual leg.

"How about I'll run all your errands for you for the next whole week if you let me go?" _Sam_ tried to bribe after a moment of consideration.

"I'm sorry, did I hear that right? _Sam Winchester_ just willingly signed up to be my bitch?" _Dean_ sneered.

"Is that a yes?" _Sam_ ignored his gibe and asked.

"No," _Dean_ turned it down right away.

"… Two weeks?" _Sam_ up the stakes.

"Nope," _Dean_ repeated.

"Ok, a month," _Sam_ doubled the prize and Sam presses his lips into a tight line, not liking the sound of it at all. That is definitely something that he will advise against, knowing how _Dean_ will take full advantage of that pact.

"Tempting, but no," _Dean_ replied and Sam is somewhat relieved to hear that.

"Come on! You get to boss me around for a whole month, it's a good deal!" _Sam_ whined in persuasion. But _Dean_ just shook his head unwaveringly.

"Fine," _Sam_ suddenly had a change in his tone as he tries a different tactic. "What about you let me go or I'll tell dad you stole all his beers when you went to Katie's place that night." _Dean's_ eyes flashed towards his brother.

"Oh yea? That's how you want to roll? You think dad will want to know who spilt salt all over his bag and jammed his guns with all those salt chunks?" _Dean_ threatened back.

"The salt bag split, it's not my fault!" _Sam_ exclaimed.

"Salt bags don't split on their own, do they?" _Dean_ said. _Sam_ glared at his brother for an angry moment and then turns his back towards him with his arms crossed, settling over his stomach. The air between them seems to turn a little chilly from the fight, and the accompanying silence.

On the adjacent table, the two adult brothers listened to their younger selves' squabbling with a mixture of amusement and slight awkwardness – but mostly amusement. They also tried to recall the very incident that the young _them_ were going on about, but so far came up empty. It seems they'll need more information to remember the exact circumstance.

"It's just a stupid soccer match, 's not like it's the end of the world…" _Dean_ muttered under his breath.

"I _promised_ I would go," _Sam_ said sulkily, still facing the other way, which, funny enough, is where the other two are sitting and Dean can get a full view of _Sam's_ salty look with just a slight tilt of his head.

"You can go for the next one," _Dean_ said placatingly.

"I already missed the last two and I gave them my word that I'll be there for _this one_. It's like the most important match this season!" _Sam_ turns back around and is now giving _Dean_ this pitiful puppy-dog look that _Dean_ is always weak against. Now, it is _Dean's_ turn to cross his arms as he struggles to stand his ground.

"Don't look at me like that. You heard when I promise dad I'll watch you practice…"

"Oh, so now your promises count and mine don't?"

"No! I didn't say that! _Sammy_ …" And _Sam_ turned his back to _Dean_ again. "Look, we don't even know if we can get back at all, it's a little early to get all mopey, i'nnit?" _Dean_ said in a soft yet reasonable voice, reminding him of the main issue at hand.

 _Sam_ heaves a sigh and lay back on his chair, and from his expression, _Dean_ can see he is letting it go - for now. The kid may be stubborn but he isn't unreasonable. The tension between them resides noticeably.

"I'm sorry…" _Sam_ mumbled as he thought of something.

"What's that?" _Dean_ didn't catch his rambled apology.

"I said I'm sorry – for what I said before.. in the apartment.. right before we got here…" _Sam_ stared down at his hands as he said that more audibly, though, it was still soft enough that the Sam and Dean from the next table had to strain their ears if they wanted to hear him. And they did.

"Oh," _Dean_ realised what _Sam_ was saying and he shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with this new subject. And then, he thought of something too. " _Sam_?"

"Hm?" _Sam_ replied, while Sam almost raised his head in response but caught himself at the last second. Dean noticed and he bites his cheeks to stifle a smile.

"What you said before… Don't say it to dad," _Dean_ requested, sounding unusually serious. _Sam_ glances up at him and their eyes meet for a second.

"I won't," _Sam_ said as he looked away, seeming rather abashed. He had learnt, since a long time ago, that "mum" is a taboo topic in the family.

"Ok," _Dean_ said, in a tone that suggested the end of this particular conversation.

On the other table, Sam and Dean both had a muddled look on their faces.

[What are they talking about?] Dean mouthed at Sam when he catches his eyes, but Sam lifted his shoulders and shakes his head to show his cluelessness. It is frustrating how their younger selves are talking in a way that only _they_ could understand, and they couldn't even ask _them_ about it since there's no way _they_ would be telling them. Just when they've roughly figured out the soccer match case, the two throw in another thing and this time, they were even more vague about it than before. Very much distracted from research, they each take their respective trips down memory lane in their own heads, hoping to match whatever the boys have just said to their far-away teen memories.

"Just how long are we supposed to sit here?" _Dean_ asked the two with annoyance.

"As long as I say so," Dean replied, a bit of his own annoyance seeping through, and _Dean_ was just giving him the death glare when the door sounded and Castiel walks in.

All four Sams and Deans rise from their seats as they go into the war room to receive the angel.

"Cas, thanks for coming," Sam said gratefully.

"Hey, Cas, we er, got a problem," Dean nodded towards the two teens, standing a little distance away.

"They are.. you. From 1998," Cas said after a scrutinising stare at the two young ones.

"We are who?" _Dean_ steps forward and asked.

"Er…Cas, I thought we are not supposed to tell them that? Won't it, you know…alter the past and mess up the future…?" Sam asked in a lowered voice.

"No. _As space-time contorts, the journey halts,_ " Cas recited the first half of the spell. "If I am able to find the counter-spell, they will be sent back to the exact space-time where they came from. They won't remember ever coming here. Only we would," Castiel explained.

Sam and Dean sigh in relief at this new piece of information while _Sam and Dean_ look absolutely bewildered.

"Wait… Are you saying that we.. they.. are us?... In the future?" _Sam_ stammered what he had inferred from their exchanges.

"Yes," Cas affirmed.

"No way…" _Dean_ uttered in disbelief.

"Welcome to the future," Dean said to them both.

The two young brothers seem to be struggling a bit to comprehend the situation while Castiel suggested asking Liutprand, the dead monk, for the counterspell.

"How are you going to ask him if he's dead? Are we summoning his ghost?" _Sam_ asked tentatively.

"No, I believe he is in heaven," Cas replied.

"Then how…"

"I'm an angel, _Sam_. I still have some connections that I can utilise…"

I'm sorry, you're a what?" _Dean_ cut across him and asked.

"An angel," Cas repeated.

"Like an angel from heaven? Angels are real?" _Sam_ said with awe.

"No, there's no such thing," _Dean_ scorned as he eyes Cas with wariness and distrust.

"That's what you said - the first time we met," Cas remembered and Dean and Sam smiled reminiscently at that initial phase of their acquaintancy.

Then, Cas promised to be back before the sand falls and hurried off to recover the spell.

The heavy metal door clangs shut and the bunker is left with the two pairs of brothers once more.

"Well… Cat's out the bag! Ha…" Dean rubbed his hands awkwardly as they stared at each other in stunned stillness.

"I'm sorry we couldn't tell you earlier because of… you know, we're worried that…" Sam began.

"That there will be a butterfly effect if we know about our future," _Sam_ finishes his sentence.

"Exactly," Sam agreed.

"So you are us, in our.. thirties? You are me and he is Dean? And we are friends with an angel?" _Sam_ asked.

"Yes. It's kind of.. a lot to take in, I know…" Sam said empathetically.

" _Sam_ , I want to talk to you," _Dean_ said out of the blue and he pulls him into the library, a distance away from their future selves.

"You can't seriously believe that," _Dean_ confronted _Sam_.

"Why not? It all makes sense…"

"Makes sense?! I mean… time travel? Angels? Even for us, this is… this is insane! Those guys are friggin nutjobs!"

" _Dean_ , relax! They _are_ us. It was that hourglass that brought us here and they're trying to get us back…"

"With the help of an "angel"? A dude in a trench coat? Angels are _n't_ real, _Sam_."

"Ghosts are real. And werewolves and demons. Why can't angels be real too?"

"Oh they can. They're as real as those Easter bunnies when you were twelve," _Dean_ taunted.

"I was eleven!" _Sam_ said in chagrin. "You just don't want to believe that I'll be taller than you in the future!" _Sam_ retorted.

"What?!" _Dean_ screeched.

"Hey guys, can it. You're making my head hurt," Dean said as the two got louder and louder.

"You don't have to argue. I've got evidence to prove we're us," Sam told them.

He then proceeds to bring out several items like dad's diary, a current newspaper, modern technologies like smartphones and laptops… After going through all of those, _Dean_ was finally forced to accept the crazy truth.

The four of them sit around the table, Sam and Dean on one side while _Sam_ and _Dean_ on the other.

"Hey… uh, me, where'd you learn all those moves?" _Dean_ asked with a kind of reverence.

"Practice. You be on the job long enough, you get all kinds of practice, with all kinds of things," Dean replied.

"Yea, I guess. What have we been hunting?" _Dean_ asked, and the older pair gave a very long list.

"Wow… That's.. a lot of practice," _Dean_ low whistled. "And _we_ hunted all those? On our own? What about dad? He just let us loose like that?" He noticed that John hadn't been in the scene when they described all those hunting experiences.

Sam and Dean stiffen a little at the mention of their deceased father.

"Kid, we're in our thirties. We can do a job without parental supervision," Dean told him, acting casual.

"Ah… of course. Does dad still hunt then? Does he live here too? Where is this place anyway?" _Dean_ lets out a string of questions.

"Dad's out of town, visiting old friend. And this place, it's the Men of Letter's bunker…" Sam glossed over his enquiry about dad and went into details about the bunker's history, and their legacy. Dean understands that Sam, like him, wanted to protect each other's younger self. Even though _they_ won't remember any of this, they still don't want _them_ to prematurely feel the pain of having lost their father, albeit it being temporary.

"Whoaa... _Sammy_ , you hear that? We're legacies! All these nerd collections of paranormal encyclopaedia sure come in useful when hunting, huh," _Dean_ said in amazement.

"Mhm…" _Sam_ agreed, but it is clear that he has something on his mind. "So.. so we've just been hunting? I mean, that's what we're doing our whole lives? Being hunters?" He asked, with a less-than-happy tone.

"Yea, pretty much," Sam replied, recognising the disappointment on _Sam's_ face as he heard the confirmation.

"Oh. And I thought… Mm…" _Sam_ trailed off into nothingness.

"You thought what?" _Dean_ asked.

"Nothing," _Sam_ lied unconvincingly, shoulders slumping dismally and eyes cast down on his hands.

"Just spit it out," _Dean_ pressed on, concerned and curious at the same time.

"I said nothing!" _Sam's_ voice went higher as he said defensively.

"Fine. You. What was he trying to say?" _Dean_ turned to the bigger Sam instead.

 _Sam_ snaps his eyes up at once, a mixture of emotions across his face as he makes eye contact with Sam. But one thing is clear – he doesn't want to talk about this, not now.

"Nothing," Sam replied lightly and _Dean_ narrowed his eyes.

"Figures… Hey, you know what they're on about?" _Dean_ asked the older him and _Sam_ turns his eyes upon Dean. Does he know? Although the 18-year-old _Dean_ is aware of _Sam's_ attitude towards the hunting life, he doesn't yet know the full extent of it- that _Sam_ wants an out, even considering leaving his only two family members to live his own life.

"… Nothing," Dean said daintily and _Sam_ felt a sense of relief, and even more questions because Dean obviously does know something.

"Dude, I thought we are on the same team…" _Dean_ said in soft disappointment and Sam and Dean smiled in response, even _Sam_ lifted one end of his lips at _Dean's_ exasperation.

"By the way, what were you guys talking about? The bit about not telling dad?" Dean finally got this off his mind, and the young brothers immediately look uncomfortable for being asked about this.

" _Nothing_ ," _Dean_ emphasized in retaliation.

"Come on! I know we said this before, just give us a hint," Dean prompted but both teens are still reluctant to tell. "That bad huh," Dean inferred. "You'd have thought we'll remember something this serious," he said to Sam, who humph in agreement.

"I do remember that soccer match though. I did go for it in the end," Sam revealed.

"You did?" _Sam_ instantly sat up on his seat, leaning forward across the table with hopeful elation.

"Yeah. I think I sneaked out for it," Sam smiled at the memory.

"Ow! What is that for!" _Sam_ cried in protest as a hand flew up and smacked the back of his head.

"For sneaking out – on _my_ watch," _Dean_ nodded at Sam while raising his eyebrows at _Sam._

"I didn't do anything!" _Sam_ complained indignantly.

"Yet. But you will," _Dean_ said with certainty. _Sam_ glared at _Dean_ as he rubs his head with a palm, unable to find a retaliation.

"How did you do it?" _Dean_ confronted the older Sam.

"I guess I just slipped out when you looked the other way," Sam replied vaguely.

"Oh, Sammy _…_ Did you really think you could give me the slip without me knowing?" Dean asked rhetorically, lips twisted into a smug smile.

"What?" Sam, like the other two, had no idea what Dean is saying.

"I knew how badly you wanted to go, so I deliberately look the other way for you to sneak out," Dean revealed.

"You did?" _Sam_ said in mild surprise, looking from Dean to _Dean_. "Thanks, _Dean_!" He beamed radiantly at his brother, who isn't as ready to accept the thanks.

"Wha… no, I didn't do that!"

"Yet. But you will." _Sam_ returned _Dean_ his very own words, but with glee and sincere gratitude. And it is _Dean's_ turn to be stumped.

"So… 1 month of free slavery, yay for me," he came up in the end, steering away from the touchy-feely atmosphere in the air.

"No! You didn't accept the offer," _Sam_ objected, that gratuitous attitude evaporated at once.

"I'm accepting it right now," _Dean_ sneered.

"It's too late, I'm not offering it anymore," _Sam_ said.

"It's ok, kid, you guys won't remember any of these when you get back, he won't even know that you offered it in the first place," Sam assured him.

"Oh yea, but he will. Never too late to repay the kindness, right?" _Dean_ referred to the older Dean. Sam widened his eyes.

"No. Not happening," Sam said, scoffing away.

"That. Is an excellent idea. I could use a maid around here," Dean praised young _Dean_ for his quick thinking and _Dean_ winks at him in comradeship.

"I'm not doing it," Sam told Dean staunchly.

"Me neither," _Sam_ added.

"You're going back on your words, little brother?" _Dean_ teased.

"No, we never had a deal!" _Sam_ insisted.

"Oh, hadn't we?" A devilish smile playing on _Dean's_ lips, he pounces without warning, right onto his astounded little brother. "What about now? We have a deal yet?"

"Ah, ah… Ow! Let go! Let go of me!..." With one arm clinging around _Sam's_ neck and the other hand fisting his head, _Dean_ had him squealing and struggling against his chest.

"Dude, stop it," Sam finally came to his rescue when _Dean_ still hasn't let go after several seconds.

 _Dean_ eyes the larger Sam across the table, considering him for a split moment, and then uncoils his arm from around the younger's neck. As the arm loosens, _Sam_ counter-attacks by swinging a fist towards his head. However, _Dean_ dodges the flying fist easily; catching it by the wrist; and then throws it back at its owner.

"Urg… You just wait... I'll get back at you when I'm bigger than you are…" _Sam_ grumbled, sitting up straight as he rubs the sore spot on his head. Both Deans look at _Sam_ with disdain.

"Hey. It doesn't matter if you grow into the Hulk, I'd still kick your ass. 'm I right?" _Dean_ turned to Dean at the end, throwing his feet onto the table and laying back on his chair, leaning on only its two hind legs.

"Damn straight," Dean said without a doubt while Sam snorted at the side, shaking his head at _Sam_ in reassurance.

After sitting around a while longer, squabbling away carelessly, _Sam_ announced that he needed the bathroom and got up from his seat. As he passes the back of _Dean's_ chair, a mischievous look flashes across his face.

"Whoa!" _Dean_ gasped when his chair was suddenly yanked backwards, making his legs drop from the table onto the floor with a loud 'thud!'. When he spun around, half-rising from his chair, _Sam_ has already run across the room and escape to the back of the bunker.

"Yea, you better run!" He shouted after him. Sam and Dean watch their younger selves with a reminiscing smile on their faces. It's been a while since they saw _Sam_ acting so childish and silly, like a cute, immature little brother and _Dean_ , as the annoying, older sibling that messes around with his kid brother.

"That little brat..." _Dean_ then muttered under his breath as he settles into his seat.

"I heard that," Sam said and _Dean_ fixes his gaze on the adult Sam instead.

"Good," he sparred. "Also, I've been meaning to ask… What's with the hair? You finally decide to come out as a girl now, Samantha?"

Dean barked a laugh at _Dean's_ latest question while Sam glared from one Dean to another.

"Shut up. I'm getting a drink. You guys want anything?" He asked as he got up from his seat.

"Bacon and beer," Dean ordered.

"Make it double," _Dean_ said.

"You're 18," Sam reminded him.

"And you're Ms Bigfoot. Go get them, sister," _Dean_ retorted and Sam shakes his head in defeat before making his way to the kitchen.

 _Dean_ waits till he could no longer hear Sam's footsteps before leaning across the table towards Dean.

"You can really take him down right? That Bigfoot?" _Dean_ asked in a low voice.

"You don't think I can?" Dean returned the question.

"No. I just… just wanna be sure…" he scratches his head nonchalantly, gaze flickering without destination.

"Come on, have some faith in yourself, kid!" Dean joked.

"Ya, I… Yea… Of course! Huh…" _Dean_ leans back in his seat after that incoherent blabber, bringing a smile to Dean's face.

"Oh, and the thing that _Sam_ said before; that can't be told to dad, what is it?" Dean asked again.

"Ah… that. Er… It's nothing, really… _Sam_ was being stupid – as usual," _Dean_ throws a glance towards the back of the bunker.

"So, what did he say, exactly?" Dean pressed on curiously.

"He doesn't want to hunt anymore, and that mum.. wouldn't want us to go the same way she did, something like that," _Dean_ said quickly and reluctantly, as though rushing through the words would make it sound less bad.

"Huh. I see…" Dean understands now, why the two acted the way they did.

* * *

 _Sam_ saw Sam busying in the kitchen and he strolled in.

"Smells good," he commented, the sizzling sound of bacon filled the air in a mouth-watering way.

"Hey. Grab anything you want, there're chips in that cupboard. I think. If Dean hasn't wiped them out yet," Sam told him.

"Thanks. And, er, actually… can I ask you something?" _Sam_ asked in a lowered voice as he walks to stand beside Sam.

"Sure," Sam agreed easily, somehow already knowing what _Sam_ is about to say.

 _Sam_ confided in Sam about his desire in having a "normal life", and Sam assured him that he did not regret choosing the path of a hunter, and that _he_ would understand eventually, because he did. (Refer to Chap 3: "I Don't Regret This, _Sam"_ for the full conversation)

* * *

After the food and drinks, Sam and Dean brought their two young guests on a tour around the bunker, and it was almost like bringing little children to the zoo for the first time. They did not hold back at all in expressing their wonder and amazement for their future home. Both had loved their own, respective rooms and wowed at the fact that they have a gun range and a dungeon in the bunker. Of course, the biggest reaction came from _Dean_ , at the garage, when it was revealed that John will eventually gift him the Impala. He was gushing over his future Baby so much that it took a combined effort to remove him from the car.

Castiel returned before the sand fall, as promised, and recited the counter-spell to which a bright white portal appeared in the middle of the room. _Dean_ steps towards it determinedly before realising that _Sam_ had trailed behind.

"You coming or what?" He said to the younger teen, who is looking at the light with apprehension in his eyes. "Get over or I'll hop in and leave your ass here, you hear me?"

 _Sam_ rolls his eyes at the empty threat and joins _Dean_ in front of the portal.

"Hey, _Sammy._ Whatever happens, I always got your back," Dean said to _Sam_ , noticing his nervousness. _Sam_ looks up to meet Dean's firm, reassuring gaze.

"I know," _Sam_ shares a knowing look with Sam, and then glances back at Dean, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

"Well, nice meeting you guys, cya!" _Dean_ bids them farewell.

And with that, they step into the bright portal and disappeared in a heartbeat.

~ The End~

* * *

 **This is the longest version of this story yet~ I felt like I got impatient towards the back so the ending is kind of abrupt, opps ›‹ There are 3 more versions of this story in my mind, featuring an even younger Sam, Dean, and both. Though, it'll probably be a long time later before I start on those as there are a few other stories that I'm currently writing~**

 **Anw, hope everyone is enjoying the holiday and have a great year ahead! ^^**


	9. Version 4: 3yo Sam

**Finals are over!~ \^0^/ Just in time for Season 13 finale~~ XD**

* * *

Version 4  
3yo Sam

"What the..." Dean said in surprise as a bright white light appeared in the bunker.

A familiar-looking small boy with light brown hair that is curled towards the end appeared in their midst.

"Huh?" He uttered in confusion at the sudden and instant change in environment. Then, his eyes focus on the two other beings in the room while they stare back. His heartbeat picks up after the shock wore off and he began to register the strange surrounding that he just fell into, and the two humongous strangers in front of him.

"Hey.. it's ok, we're not bad guys..." Dean tried to reassure as he recognises the fear forming in his eyes, while slowly getting up from his seat.

However, before he could speak another word, the boy turned towards the opening that leads to the back of the bunker and bolted.

"No, no, no, wait!" Dean exclaimed as both he and Sam run after the run-away.

"... Dean!.. Daad! Deean!..." They can hear him screaming in a frantic, high-pitched voice, along with the pitter-patter of his tiny feet scurrying along the bunker's corridors.

"... Deean!.. Where are you?!" He yelled with tears in his voice.

"Dude, I'm right here," Dean muttered to themselves before signalling for Sam to go the other way to intercept young _Sam_.

Seconds later, _Sam_ is trapped at a corner by the two adults, his eyes wide with fear, and they're rapidly accumulating tears.

"Hey, hey, it's ok... It's _Sam_ , right? _Sam Winchester_?" Dean said to the child, whose fearful expression changes slightly to surprise. He paused for a moment before nodding quietly to confirm Dean's claim.

"Right... yea, you see, er, your dad, John, he left you with us.. cause he got some work to do," Dean bends down to his height, "He says he'll come and get you when he's done so, you can relax, alright? We're not bad guys.. we're friends of your dad," Dean quickly made up something to calm the frightened kid, speaking in a deliberate, slow manner so that he can understand.

 _Sam_ listened carefully as Dean spoke and a little dent appeared between his brows. He doesn't remember dad leaving him with these two strangers... In fact, he distinctly remembered being in a motel apartment with his brother while his father left for work.

"... Where's Dean?" He asked in a small voice.

"Dean? Er..." Dean rolls his eyes to the side as he thinks of a follow-up story.

"My big brother," _Sam_ informed him, misinterpreting his pause.

"Yea... yea I know," Dean said airily.

"He's with your dad. He needed him to help out with something," Sam spoke up and _Sam_ turns his attention to the taller man. The dents between his eyes deepened.

"... I was just with Dean. Dad said we can't leave the room," _Sam_ said in confusion.

"You were sleeping like a baby when your dad handed you over. You must have been dreaming," Dean told him.

 _Sam_ still looks a little muddled but he has calmed down much and those tears managed to stay put in his hazel doe eyes.

"Hey, _Sammy_? Let's go back to the library, alright? Are you hungry? The... Jim," Dean nodded at Sam, "can make us some peanut butter and banana sandwich, how 'bout that? Your dad said you like that stuff," he added to prove to him again that they knew of his father.

 _Sam_ thought about it for a second and then nodded in agreement.

"Great! Come on, let's go," Dean straightened up and held out his hand towards him. The little one took a few steps forward but shifts his hand to his back.

"Ok... this way," Dean let his hand falls and guides _Sam_ towards the library with the kid trailing along 2 steps behind. Meanwhile, Sam heads to the kitchen to make sandwiches for himself.

"Where's Dean?" _Sam_ asked again as Dean helps him to a chair.

"We told you, he's helping out your dad," Dean said patiently.

"Help how?" He asked in detail.

"I dunno... run some errands probably," Dean answered vaguely and grab a chair next to _Sam_.

"I can go with Dean. I can help too," _Sam_ chirped.

"Yea.. no.. Uh, Dean can do it himself," he explained.

"Hey, what's up?" He went on to ask when _Sammy's_ face fell into a sad frown.

"... Does Dean not want to bring me along?" He asked with a sad little pout.

"What?... No! Why would you think that?" Dean said in exasperation.

 _Sam_ casts his gaze down as he plays with his fingers.

"... I ate all the Lucky Charms.. Dean hasn't had any," he admitted guiltily.

"Ah..." Dean said. The reason is more minute than he has expected.

"Hey, don't worry, he's not mad at you for er, eating all the Lucky Charms," Dean reassured him.

"Really?" _Sam_ peers up at him hopefully with his wide, innocent eyes.

"Yea, of course," Dean confirmed and _Sam's_ expression lightened up a little.

Just then, Sam returns from the kitchen with a plate full of sandwiches.

"Here, eat up," he placed it right in front of _Sam_ , who leans towards it temptingly but seems hesitant to touch.

"Don't worry _Sammy_ , there's no poison in here," Dean joked as he picks up a piece and stuffs it in his mouth. Sam takes one for himself too. He has made enough for all three of them. Finally, _Sam_ followed their example, took a piece of his favourite snack and began nibbling at it.

As _Sam_ eats, the two adults went a bit further away to discuss the situation. They decided on calling Cas for help while doing whatever research they can in the bunker.

"You done eating?" Sam was going to get some drinks from the kitchen when he noticed one last piece of sandwich left on the plate.

 _Sam_ nodded at him, and he reaches out to take the plate back to the kitchen. To his surprise, _Sam_ pulls it away from him.

"You still want it?" Sam asked with a quizzical look.

"... It's for Dean," _Sam_ mumbled and a corner of Dean's lips lifted at his words.

"Oh. Er.. there's more at the back, we can make more for him later if he wants any," Sam told him and he nodded and relinquishes the plate to let Sam take it away.

 _Sam_ sits in his chair with nothing to do, now that he has finished his snack. He glances around the bunker with interest, especially at the library of books stacked up against the shelves. Then, he noticed Dean looking at him when their eyes accidentally met, and he quickly cast his gaze down.

"Hey, what were you doing before you got here?" Dean asked conversationally.

 _Sam_ looks up at him timidly and he opens his mouth, then he stops himself at the last moment, remembering something, and closes it again.

"Yea?" Dean prompted and _Sam_ said while looking down at the table, "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers..."

"Whoa, but, we're not strangers. I'm Rob. And that's Jim, and we know your dad. You don't remember it, but we've met when you were younger.. younger," Dean told him.

"We have?" _Sam_ blinks innocently.

"Yea, I fed you, washed you, played games with you..." Dean went down the list. "Anyway.. So, what were you doing before?" Dean asked.

"I was with Dean. Dad just went out. Dean and I watching TV," _Sam_ said.

"What were you guys watching?" Dean asked.

"Scooby-Doo!" _Sam_ said with some enthusiasm.

"Ooh, I love that show!" Dean enthused back, making _Sam_ smile.

Sam returns to find Dean and young _Sam_ conversing animatedly about their childhood cartoon show.

"... Daphne is my favourite, she's hot.. pretty," Dean said.

"Oh! Dean likes her too!" _Sam_ told him, and Sam lets out a chuckle.

"Your taste in girls hasn't changed much," Sam commented to Dean in a low volume while Dean snorted dismissively.

After that, Dean and Sam continue their research while they play Scooby episodes for _Sam_ on a tablet.

Castiel arrives at the bunker half an hour later.

"Cas, hey, this is -"

" _Sam_ , from 1986," Cas gave an x-ray look at the child, who shrank lower down in his seat. "Hello, young _Sam_ , it's nice to meet you," Cas said, but _Sam_ merely peers up at him shyly with his lips sealed tight.

"Er, yea, he's uh, "Not supposed to talk to strangers"," Dean told Cas and then he turns to _Sam_. "It's ok, he's with us, you can talk to him." And _Sam_ looks from Dean to Cas.

Cas smiled gently at the kid and offers him his hand. _Sam_ stares down at it for a second, then, he raises his own hand to give it a quick high-five.

"There you go..." Dean said as he carelessly messes up _Sam's_ hair.

Sam, Dean and Cas then discuss what they'll do and then Cas left the bunker with the promise to find Liutprand's counter-spell. The two remaining adults continue with their research while _Sam_ returns his attention to Scooby-Doo.

Two hours or so later, _Sam_ starts to fidget in his seat.

"When is dad comin' fetch me?" He asked and the other two look up from their books.

"Soon. He'll be here soon," Sam told him.

"How soon?" He isn't satisfied with the vague answer.

"Er... 5 hours tops," Dean came up with a random number.

"Ok... Is Dean coming with him?" He asked.

"Probably... Why?" Both Sam and Dean are curious about the reason behind that query.

"He can have the peanut-banana sandwich if he comes," _Sam_ explained and a look of comprehension came over the two. He still feels sorry for the Lucky Charms incidence and wants to share his favourite food with his brother. "Can you tell dad to bring Dean with him?" He requested.

The two of them exchange a look before Sam pulls out his phone.

"Yea... sure, you can uh, leave him a message..." Sam said as he goes into the recorder app and held it towards _Sam_. "You can say what you want to da.. your dad into this and he'll listen to it when he's free," Sam elaborated when little _Sam_ just stares at the machine blankly.

 _Sammy_ raises both hands tentatively to pull the phone closer to his face.

"Dad?..." He said into the phone, looking up at Sam with uncertainty while Sam nodded at him encouragingly.

"Dad, it's _Sammy_..." _Sam_ began. Dean smirk at the older Sam and the latter rolled his eyes at him.

"... When are you coming? .. I ate peanut-banana sandwich and watched Scooby-Doo! .. Bring Dean here when you come fetch me, ok? There's some more yummy sandwich! Ok, dad?" He paused afterwards and Sam retrieved the phone to play back the recorder for him to hear.

"He'll call back when he gets the message," Sam told him and then keeps the phone back inside his pocket.

 _Sam_ went back to watching the screen while the other two continue with research. He spoke out once or twice, checking if dad called, and of course, he didn't.

More time passes and _Sam_ begins to doze off in his seat.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," Dean walks over and picks him up before he falls off his chair.

"Hmm..." _Sam_ tightened his arms around Dean's neck as he lays his head on his shoulder, eyes never opening once throughout.

"Dad..?" He called out in a mumbled voice.

"Shh… You'll see him soon," Dean murmured back as a promise. The two adults bring the child into Sam's room and Dean carefully lets him down on the bed while Sam covers him with his blanket.

"Mn… Dean..?" He called out next as he rolls over in bed and Dean gave a start before leaning over and placing a palm on his chest.

"I'm right here," he whispered into his ear reassuringly, patting him softly as he coaches him to sleep. Sam looks at Dean with widened eyes and raised eyebrows, not expecting him to reveal his identity. Luckily, _Sammy_ doesn't seem to notice as he is already too far gone in his sleep.

Despite so, somehow, young _Sam_ does seem more relax after that and quickly settles into a deeper slumber without another word. Dean slowly gets up from the bedside and gestures for Sam to follow him out of the room.

"What?" Sam exclaimed when he noticed Dean staring at him in a way.

"Dude, just what did we feed you that turned you from that - to this?" He jabs his thumb at the recently shut door and then waves his hand up and down at the large man in front of him.

"Shut up," Sam snorted with a smile.

They then return to the library and their research materials, with Castiel showing up a couple hours later, having gotten the counter-spell.

" _Sammy_ … _Sammy_ … Hey, buddy, wake up, you can go back now," Dean lightly shakes the sleeping child.

"Hmm?..." _Sam_ raises a fist to rub at his drowsy eyes.

"Here… I got you…" Dean easily lifted him off the bed and carried him over to the library.

Sam recited the counter-spell and a bright portal appears in the middle of the room.

"You'll return to your space-time once you step inside the portal," Cas told young _Sam_ , who is squinting at the dazzling portal with some apprehension. Dean lets him down on his feet.

"Go on," he prompted, giving him a little push on the back. Sam stumbles forward, and then stands still on the spot.

"You have to walk through it, kid," Dean told him. _Sam_ turns his head to look pleadingly at the three adults, with fear in his eyes.

"You'll see your dad and your brother once you go to the other side," Sam encouraged.

"Dad and Dean are inside?" He repeated. "Daad~? Deean~?" He yelled at the portal, making the rest of them smile.

"They can't hear you, you have to go in," Sam said.

 _Sammy_ nodded and walks towards Dean, reaching for his hand.

"No.. Sorry, _Sammy_ , you have to go on your own," Dean pushed his hands down gently.

"You're not coming?" Sam asked with a pout. Dean gets down on one knee to meet him at eye level.

"… I'll see you on the other side," or, at least, one version of him will so he isn't exactly lying, "Go," he spun him around to face the light.

 _Sam_ walks tentatively towards it till he's just a step away. He tilts his head back to look at the three, who smiled and nodded encouragingly at him. One last step, and he is completely engulfed by the light, which then disappeared in a heartbeat, together with _Sam_.

~ The End ~

* * *

 **I considered only writing the version where both young Sam and Dean appears tgt cause that's the most interesting version in my head~ But in the end, I still decided to have the versions where they appear individually too, like what I've originally planned~**


	10. Version 5: 7yo Dean

**This is a short one cause I wanna start on Version 6 with both kid Sam & kid Dean~^^**

* * *

Version 5  
7yo Dean

"Wha.. Where is this.. Who are you?!" A young boy sputtered in surprise and confusion as he appeared in the middle of the bunker's library following a bright, white light.

Sam and Dean stared at the boy with widened eyes and dropped jaws. The boy eyes the two stranger apprehensively, backing away from them while looking for an exit. As soon as he locates the door at the top of the stairs, he dashes towards it for as fast as his legs can carry him.

"No.. Wait!" Dean shouted and both the brothers ran after the child. Dean caught him just as he hopped onto the stairs.

"Let go…! Get off me!..." He yelled while struggling against his captor.

"Ok, ok! Calm down!" Dean slowly releases him onto the ground. _Dean_ immediately jumps back, keeping some distance between them.

"What do you want!" He shouted at them, still panting from the struggle. "I'm not scared of you!" He added, though, they can both see the fear in his eyes.

"Ok, first, we're not bad guys," Dean told him but he seemed understandably sceptical. "And second, you're… _Dean Winchester_ ," he said, and _Dean_ looked surprised for a second but isn't sure if he should confirm or deny that fact so he stayed silent.

" _Dean…_ I know it's really confusing for you. And I think we got you here by accident, but don't worry, we'll find a way to send you back," Sam told him reassuringly while looking at Dean meaningfully as he nods at the hourglass.

"I don't get it…" _Dean_ admitted.

"We won't hurt you, and we'll send you back to your family, I promise. Why don't you sit here while I uh… talk to him for a minute," Sam ushered _Dean_ to a chair and then went a little further away to talk with Dean.

The child eyed them carefully as they whispered their plan to call Cas for help while doing more research on the hourglass.

"How long do I have to stay here?" _Dean_ asked after Dean returned to the table while Sam phones Cas.

"Couple hours probably," Dean replied.

"Couple hours?!" _Dean_ exclaimed, hopping down from his chair. "No, I have to go now," he said and heads towards the door once again.

"Whoa, hey! Slow down, kid!" Dean tried to grab him but missed as he bolted towards the stairs. However, Sam, who has ended his call, comes back just in time to catch the boy.

"Put me down!" _Dean_ kicked his feet and demanded as Sam carried him back into the library and lowered him on a chair.

"Stop running or we'll have to tie you up, ok?" Dean said to him but he ignored the warning and jumped down from his seat again, to which Sam caught him, again.

" _Dean_ , stop, it's ok, we'll get you back…" Sam said but Dean cut him off.

"Now!" He insisted.

"Well… You'll have to wait…"

"No! I have to go back _now_!" He insisted, with panic and urgency in his eyes.

"Why? What's the hurry? You late for a date or something?" Dean asked humorously, trying to lighten the mood.

 _Dean_ stops struggling for a while, though he's still looking edgy.

"… I've got a brother… a younger brother. He's alone in the room right now and I'm supposed to be there…" he said with furrowed eyebrows.

"Where's your dad? Or your babysitter?" Dean questioned.

"Dad just went out, he says he'll be back within 3 hours, it's just me and Sammy… I have to go back. Please. Sammy's three, I can't leave him there alone," he explained and pleaded for them to let him go. Sam and Dean exchange a look.

"I get that you have to go back… and we want to get you back, trust me, it's just… we have to find a way to do that…" Dean struggled to explain.

"I don't ge-… Where is this place? I was in the motel room with Sammy and then… how did I get here?" Dean looked around the bunker in confusion.

"I'm sorry _Dean_ , we can't tell you. But we've called a friend and he'll be here soon with a way to get you home. Let's wait for him to come over, alright?" Sam said and _Dean_ nodded reluctantly.

Sam and Dean sit at the table, reading up on the books and searching for the counter-spell. Meanwhile, _Dean_ paces back and forth in the library, fidgety with unease.

"Hey, relax. Everything'll be fine. Why don't you take a seat, I'll grab you some food," Sam said as he got up and heads towards the kitchen.

Dean went to sit down at the table but he did not relax. His face is pinched with worry and his feet kicked restlessly underneath the table.

"We'll get you back as soon as possible, your brother will be fine," Dean told him kindly, addressing his troubles.

"How do you know? What if Sammy went looking for me? We're not supposed to leave the room… What if some bad guys caught him? What if they hurt him…?" _Dean's_ spoke faster and louder as his flustered imagination got the better of him.

"Whoa, whoa! Hold it right there. That's not going to happen. Sammy's a smart kid. Right? He knows he shouldn't run out on his own or talk to some stranger. He'll be ok. What was he doing before you came here?" Dean asked.

"He was… he was watching tv. Scooby-Doo."

"Good show. He can watch that stuff all day, he probably doesn't even know you're missing!" Dean said optimistically.

"Mn…" _Dean_ thought about what he said as Sam comes back with some chips and juice.

"Wait, how do you know he can watch that all day? … And before, how did you know my name?" _Dean_ asked suspiciously. Sam shoots Dean an accusatory look of – " _What have you been telling him?"_ while Dean stumbles through his brain for a believable explanation that doesn't sound like a lie.

"Uhh… You see, I, and this guy here, we're hunters, like your dad, and we were trying to.. summon something with that hourglass but we accidentally got you instead," Dean said.

There are so many things off with the story but for a 7-year-old who is aware of the supernatural world, it still is believable.

"Oh. You worked with my dad before?" He asked.

"Yeah, that's right. John Winchester. He's a great hunter," Dean answered.

"He's the best," _Dean_ corrected him proudly and the other two smiled a knowing smile.

"Yes, he is," Dean agreed.

The child becomes less anxious after that and they let him watch cartoons and eat chips while they research. Cas arrives a while later.

"Cas, hey. This is…"

"Dean, from 1986," Cas said.

"Who are you?" _Dean_ asked.

"My name is Castiel."

"Cas-ti-el? _Dean_ made a face at the strange name.

"You can call me Cas," he said helpfully.

"Cas, you got it?" Dean cut into their conversation and the angel pulls out a piece of paper with the incantation.

Dean read the counter-spell and a bright portal appears in the middle of the room.

"You will return to your space-time once you step inside," Cas informed the time traveller.

"I'll return _where_?" _Dean_ said in confusion as he squints at the bright light.

"You'll return back to your family. Go on," Sam prompted.

 _Dean_ looks up at the three adults who nodded at him encouragingly. He takes a deep breath and walks steadily towards the portal and once he steps inside, both the light and _Dean_ disappeared in a flash.

~ The End ~

* * *

 **Writer's Random Rant: I love holidays!~~‹3**


	11. Version 6: 3yo Sam & 7yo Dean

**Started this version in June and only completed it in September… Yea I'm slow… It's already halfway through the semester! ›‹**

 **Note: This chapter has a quote from ep3x02 "The Kids Are Alright" and has references from ep7x10 "Death's Door" and ep10x12 "About A Boy".**

* * *

Version 6  
3yo Sam & 7yo Dean

"What the…" Dean gasped as 2 young boys appear in the room after a bright light that flashed out of nowhere.

"Huh?..." "What… Where is this…?" The kids look around in surprise and confusion.

They eventually fix their eyes upon the two men in the room and a look of fearfulness settled on their faces.

"Hey… It's ok, we're not bad guys…" Dean said while rising from his seat. It was a wrong move, however, as the older boy immediately grabs a hold of the younger one's hand.

"Run!" He yelled and dashes towards the staircase that leads to the exit.

"No! Wait!..."Dean exclaimed and he and Sam quickly ran after them. Sam caught the smaller boy by the arm and his hand slips out of his brother's.

" _Sam_!" The older boy bellowed, abandoning his own escape route as he spun around to reach for _Sam._ However, his attempt is thwarted as Dean caught him from the side and traps him by his arms.

" _Dean_! _Dean_!.. No.. _Dean_!" _Sam_ struggled and cried for his brother.

" _Sammy_! Urg… Don't hurt him!... Don't hurt him! Please!" _Dean_ shouted at Sam while struggling against his own captor. Despite using all his might, he could not break the stronghold of Dean's. And this is truly driving him crazy - that a giant of a man is manhandling his little brother right in front of him and yet, there's nothing he can do but watch.

"Hey… Stop it, you'll get hurt…" Dean warned as _Dean_ continues to tug and pull violently with no regards to his own body.

"Ok, ok, calm down…" Sam said appeasingly as he slowly let go of mini _Sam_ while Dean too releases his smaller self _._

Once freed, the young brothers sprint towards each other in a mad dash. _Sam_ leaps onto _Dean_ in one fluid movement, and his little arms and legs wrap tightly around his neck and waist. Dean held on to him in an equally strong grip while backing away from the two perceived threats in the room.

"No! Stay back!" _Dean_ yelled when they tried to approach them.

"Ok… Look, it's ok, we're not gonna hurt you…" Sam told him.

"Who are you and what do you want?!" _Dean_ fixes them with a gaze so focus and alert beyond his age.

"There has been a mistake. We, er… we didn't mean to have you here, I mean… This is an accident, and we will fix it, I promise," Sam said.

"Then let us go!" _Dean_ demanded.

"We will. We will find a way, give us some time…" Dean replied.

"No, let us go now!" He insisted.

"We can't do that," Dean spoke. The child glowers at the two strangers. He can feel his own pounding heartbeat against Sam's, but there is no time for fear. He has to think fast and get both _Sam_ and him out of here.

"My dad will find us, and he's really strong," _Dean_ threatened. "Let us go now, or he'll come and get you!"

The adult brothers exchange a look.

"Your dad is... John Winchester," Sam stated the fact.

"You know my dad?" _Dean_ blurted in surprise.

"Yea, we're friends of his," Sam quickly said.

"… I've never seen you before," _Dean_ narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"We are his friends at work. You wouldn't have met us since our job is not so much the "Bring your kids to work" kind of deal," Dean explained with a touch of humour, trying to lighten the mood.

"Dad works alone," he said, still not convinced.

"Mostly, but not every time. I know Bobby got him out of a few tight spots before…"

"You know Uncle Bobby?" _Dean_ cut across him.

"That's right. Grumpy old guy with a knack for old cars. It's a pretty small circle, what we do. Was talking to Pastor Jim the other day, said he worked on a case with both Bobby and your dad one time," Dean said deliberately. The younger _Dean_ widened his eyes at yet another familiar name.

"Listen… _Dean_. We are not bad guys. We help people, like your dad. I know you know what we do. Sometimes strange things happen. Give us some time and we'll make things right. Ok?" Sam looks unwaveringly into his eyes as he said this.

 _Dean_ bites his lips as he considers them. He has been taught not to trust strangers easily but instinct is telling him that the two people standing before him are, in their words, "not bad guys". The brows above his eyes close in on one another as his mind works hard to analyse this situation. Running is no go, especially with _Sam_ here. Fighting is obviously impossible. Pleading has been tried, and they responded that they need more time to… do something to let them go? _Dean_ did not completely understand that, but it seems to have something to do with the hunting job. And the more he thinks about it, the clearer it becomes that staying put is the only available option. They could have easily retained them by force, but they chose to explain and convince. He will not trust them just yet, but he has decided to wait and see.

"Let me call Uncle Bobby," he requested, wanting to confirm their identity, and they readily agreed. Dean holds the phone for him (after explaining what it is) as _Sam_ is taking up his hands. His trust for them rises by a small fraction when he sees the correct set of numbers on the screen. Bobby did not pick up his phone, but they let him leave a message so that he can call back when he hears it.

 _Dean_ loosens his stance a little and then he gives a bouncing heave to keep _Sam_ from sliding off. The toddler is still clinging onto him like a koala to a tree and he has been staying real quiet so none of them knew how much he understood from the exchange.

"Here, have a seat. …Treat this as your own place," Dean said, smiling at how right that actually sounds. He pulls back two chairs at one of the library tables.

 _Dean_ relaxes his support on _Sam's_ back for him to return to the ground.

"Hey, come down," he nudges when the boy continues to stay up with his own strength.

 _Dean_ walks towards the chair and tried to put him on the seat, but it only makes him clings tighter.

"Come on, you can come down now, you're heavy…" _Dean_ complained lightly as he tries to pluck him off. In response, _Sam_ made an unintelligible sound of protest and stubbornly held on.

"Are you crying?" _Dean_ said in a teasing tone.

"No!" The indignant reply came out muffled as _Sam_ has buried his face into _Dean's_ shoulder.

"Get off me, you cry-baby," _Dean_ tried to land him onto the seat again.

"I'm not, I'm not!..." _Sam_ countered in annoyance, and this time he loosened up and moved on to stay on top of the chair.

Having regained his sight to his surrounding, _Sam_ immediately took notice of the two strangers in the room. He peers up at them warily while holding on to the arm of his brother.

"It's ok, _Sammy_. They are friends of dad, like Uncle Bobby," _Dean_ informed him.

"Hey, _Sam_. I'm Rob and that's Jim. Sorry if we scared you before. We'll send you back to your dad in a while, alright?" Dean told him in a slow, soothing voice.

 _Sam_ looks towards _Dean_ , who gives him a reassuring nod, and then he looks back at 'Rob and Jim' and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Great. Ok, why don't you take a seat and, uh, give us a minute," Sam said before walking a distance away to discuss with Dean about the situation. They decided on calling Cas for help while doing whatever research they can in the bunker. As they return to the library, they find their younger selves in some kind of disagreement.

"… Dad said we can't leave the room…" They hear _Sam_ grumbling with a tone of displeasure.

"Geez, I know. I didn't want to leave either, we just… somehow got here!..." _Dean_ replied in exasperation.

"But _Deean_ ~…"

"Shh!" _Dean_ hushed him urgently when he saw Sam and Dean returning.

"Everything's alright...?" Dean asked.

"Yes, sir," the older child replied immediately, in an extra-polite manner as if to make up for all the yelling that he did before.

"Ok… So, we called a friend to help us out and we'll get you back to where you came from. You guys can chill in the meantime," Dean told them.

"Yes… What?!..." _Dean_ turned and hissed at _Sam,_ who is tugging at his arm demandingly.

"We left the Lucky Charms on the table!" _Sam_ said in a failed whisper.

"… You can have it when we get back!" _Dean_ told him through gritted teeth, not seeing the urgency that Sam is expressing towards this matter.

"Bu- But it won't be nice anymore, it'll get mushy by the milk. And it's the last bowl for my dinner!" _Sam_ elaborated. _Dean_ was about to retaliate when Sam talked over him.

"We have food in our kitchen, I can make some sandwiches or something while you wait," Sam offered.

"No, it's fine, sir, you don't have to- "

"It's no trouble, we haven't had our dinner too," Sam said and went towards the kitchen.

He returned shortly with two big plates of sandwiches and placed them on the table.

"Here, help yourselves," Sam said generously. Dean already has half a sandwich in his mouth before Sam even finishes that sentence.

 _Sam_ leans forward eagerly but stops himself right before he touches the food, turning to look up at _Dean_ questioningly _._ He received the 'go ahead' when _Dean_ gave an approving nod and he delightedly picked one up and began munching.

"You can have some too. I made enough for all of us," Sam told _Dean_ while taking one from the plate himself _._ Dean is already starting on his second piece.

"Thank you," _Dean_ said and picked up his first sandwich.

"Thank-you," _Sam_ echoed after him with his mouth full.

The four of them chatted casually about their favourite sandwich fillings and the boys watch in entertainment at how the grown men banter over peanut butter and banana combination.

"What's in yours?" _Sam_ suddenly leaned over without warning, reaching for the bread in _Dean's_ hand.

"Hey!..." _Dean_ gasped when _Sam_ accidentally swipes the sandwich off his hand while trying to see its content. "What are you doing?!" _Dean_ scolded while hopping off his seat to retrieve his fallen food.

Sam has risen from his seat too to clean up the floor of bread crumbs and peanut butter sauce.

"I just want to see what you got…" _Sam_ said in an apologetic tone.

"They are the _same_ , dummy!" _Dean_ snapped at him before turning to the older Sam. "I'm sorry, we didn't mean- Let me do it, Mr Jim, sir…"

"Sorry, Mr Jim, sir…" _Sam_ parroted _Dean_ again.

"It's ok, it's ok, I already got it…" Sam said as he wiped off the remaining bit of crumbs on the floor.

The difference in attitude that _Dean_ exhibits towards the two Sams is so apparent, especially when he is addressing them side to side, that it is almost comedic. At least it definitely seems so to Dean, who is watching them with great amusement.

"Thank you, sir. I'm sorry, sir, it won't happen again," _Dean_ apologised once more.

"Don't worry about it. And uh, you can just call us Rob and Jim, we don't care." In fact, Sam has been having goosebumps every time _Dean_ addresses him so politely. Even though it is a younger _Dean_ who does not know his true identity, it still feels strange and just… wrong.

"Ok," _Dean_ agreed with a smile, getting more comfortable in this unknown place with their relax attitude. Having been through his fair share of babysitters, he would say (if this was a normal situation) that they are the nice and easy-going type that are actually cool with kids.

The boys ate while the men multitasked with both food and books. They finished all of the sandwiches in no time. _Dean_ volunteered to clear the dishes, followed by _Sam_ , but was turned down as they didn't want them out of sight. Sam then passes around some napkins as besides him, the rest of them look like they really need one.

"You've got peanut butter on your forehead!" _Dean_ laughed while cleaning it off for young _Sam._

"You got it too!" _Sam_ shot back, pointing at _Dean's_ face.

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do! You just cleaned them away!"

"At least I don't have them on my forehead, you baby!"

"I'm not baby! You baby!..."

And it gets louder and more ridiculous as they go.

"Guys, whoa, ok! It's just some peanut butter, take it easy," Dean stepped in, ending their noisy squabble. _Dean_ was tempted to remind him about his argument regarding peanut butter and banana just a moment ago but thought better of it.

The boys sat quietly in their seats after that. For 5 minutes. Then, for some reason, they started poking at each other while blocking the other to do the same. Since a while ago, they have begun to trust the two large strangers as they could tell that they are of kindred spirit despite all the secrecy. And with that rise in comfort level, they became bolder and less restrained. It started small, a childish back and forth, and when the adults turned a blind eye to their antics, it naturally escalates.

Before long, both boys have left their seats and proceed to emulate a scene of lion cubs wrestling in the wild. Onlookers may even think they are fighting for real given the image of violence, but the huge grin across both their faces make it clear that this is just a harmless scuffle. Also, having been told off earlier on, they are conscious of keeping their noise level down, hence Sam and Dean let the boys be boys and concentrate on their work instead. However, a sudden commotion made them look up from the books.

The two of them have been pushing and pulling, and punching and kicking but _Dean_ , being both bigger and stronger than _Sam_ is, has a clear upper hand in this play fight. _Sam_ thus decided to pull out his strongest weapon.

"Ow!" _Dean_ gave a hard push, an automatic reaction to be rid of the pain, and _Sam_ went flying backwards; tumbling down onto the floor and stopping right before he hits the shelves.

" _Sammy_!" _Dean_ exclaimed in panic, ignoring the teeth mark on his arm, and dashes across the room where _Sam_ has stayed on the ground.

"Whoa, don't kill him…" Dean muttered in concern as he stretches his neck to visually examine the younger child.

" _Sammy_ …? Are you ok? Are you hurt?" _Dean_ asked tentatively, putting a cautious hand on _Sam's_ shoulder. He can only see a small half of his face while the rest is hidden in the shadows.

 _Sam_ stayed still and didn't reply.

" _Sammy_?" He called out again, the worry in his voice intensifying unmistakably.

 _Sam_ turns to look up at _Dean_ with a blank expression, his clear, bright eyes taking in _Dean's_ anxious features.

Out of a sudden, _Sam_ bounces up and shoves _Dean_ by the chest. Surprised, the latter fell backwards and ends up sitting with his hands pressed onto the ground behind his back to break the fall.

"Ha! Gotcha!" _Sam_ grinned triumph-ly.

The confounded look on _Dean's_ face changes as he narrowed his eyes.

"You were bluffing?" He accused.

The smaller kid sticks out his tongue at him and then scrambles to get up and run away, but he isn't fast enough. _Dean_ pounces, bringing him down before he can even stand, and the two went rolling across the ground, effectively kicking off 'Round 2' of the wrestling match.

The adult brothers lean back into their chairs, seeing that they are fine. And although the younger _Dean_ might not have realised, the older one certainly did. He is heartened to see that, young as he is, _Sam_ has been looking out for him too.

"… Give up?" _Dean_ asked. He is currently sitting on top and kneeling across _Sam's_ torso. Though, he is careful to put enough weight on his knees so as not to squish the toddler.

"No!" _Sam_ said firmly while struggling to break free – unsuccessfully.

"Oh yea? What about now?" He asked while aggressively messing up his hair, but _Sam_ still didn't give.

"You're disgusting," Sam told his adult brother when _Dean_ pins both of _his_ wrists over _his_ head next and threatens to drool over _his_ face.

"You could have just surrendered. Stupid," Dean retaliated.

"No! No! I won't!" _Sam_ squeezed his eyes shut in disgust and whip his head from side to side, but continues to resist. And Sam is pretty proud of _himself_ for not giving in easy.

 _Dean_ pursed his lips in contemplation. Then, a devilish smile spread across his cheeks as Eureka strikes.

The next thing they know, a series of uncontrollable giggles erupted from the youngest in the room. _Dean_ has freed his hand from around his wrists and proceeds to tickling him all over.

"No… S-Stop!... _De-ean_!..." _Sam_ exclaimed in between his snickering.

"Say you'll give up!" _Dean_ prompted.

"No!..." _Sam_ replied.

"You sure?" _Dean_ tickles him even more vigorously than before and the giggles turn into high-pitched screams of laughter, with his hands and legs flailing all over the place.

"Aaahhh-ha-ha-ha…! No.. Sto…! Da-Daaad!..." _Sam_ screamed for help in his desperation.

"Dad's not here, you cry-baby," _Dean_ told him, but he is too distracted to hear him.

"You know, a cool kid once told me – " _Only bitches send a grown-up._ "," Dean told Sam, who rolled his eyes and shook his head in distaste.

"… Ok!... S-Stop… Stop! You win!" _Sam_ finally raised the white flag, through tears of tortured laughter.

Contented, _Dean_ rolls off his tiny frame. There was a moment of peace as both boys lay on the floor, panting from exhaustion.

"… _Dean_? How did we get here?" _Sam_ asked out of the blue as if that thought has only just occurred to him.

"Huh…?" _Dean_ replied, even though he heard him loud and clear.

"We were in our room. Remember? How we got here?" _Sam_ rolled over to lie on his stomach as he raises his head to look at _Dean_ curiously.

"We... we just did," _Dean_ said evasively.

"But how?" _Sam_ continued asking.

 _Dean_ pursed his lips and pinched his eyebrows. He doesn't know exactly how too, but he does know it was no ordinary, human way.

" _Dean…_?" _Sam_ is still waiting for an answer.

"There was a rabbit hole. We fell through it and came here," _Dean_ blabbered. Sam snorted softly at the absurd lie while Dean glared at him from the side of his eyes.

"A rabbit hole?" _Sam_ repeated with wide eyes. "There are rabbits in our room?" He asked innocently.

"Yeah. It's a special rabbit hole that can bring us to this place," he elaborated.

"A special rabbit hole? Oh, oh! Is it made by the Easter Bunny? That's how he goes around to give out Easter eggs, right?" _Sam_ asked excitedly.

"Mhm," _Dean_ went right along with his Easter Bunny theory.

"Where is he? The Easter Bunny, is he here?" _Sam_ bounces up into a sitting position as he looks around the room eagerly.

"We can't find him, _Sammy_ , he's hiding from us," _Dean_ told him.

"I know! We'll find the rabbit hole then we can find the Easter Bunny!" _Sam_ said, and he starts to look up at the ceiling to find the rabbit hole that they supposedly fell through from. And now it is Dean's turn to try and contain his laughter at _Sam's_ childish ignorance while Sam kicks him under the table.

Just then, the heavy metal door upstairs clanked noisily as someone unlocks it from the outside.

" _Dean_! The Easter Bunny's here!" _Sam_ squealed and shook _Dean's_ hand fervidly. Both boys got on their feet, looking up at the door, as did the men.

The door swings open and a look of confusion and slight disappointment fell over _Sam._

"Cas, thanks for coming," Sam said gratefully as Cas arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yea, and uh, we've got a problem," Dean nodded towards the two children.

"They are… you. From 1986," Castiel said, and he walks towards _them_.

"Are you Mr Easter Bunny?" _Sam_ asked uncertainly as Cas went to stand before him.

Cas tilts his head in confusion, unaware of the prelude behind the query. He believes that he appears to be a human to the human eyes, rather than a non-existence Lagomorph-type creature.

"No. My name is Castiel," he told him patiently.

"Ca-sell…" _Sam_ tried to say his name.

"You can call me Cas," he said helpfully.

"Ca-s…." "Cas." Both boys said it correctly this time.

"It's nice to meet you," Cas extended his hand and _Dean_ took it first, giving it a shake. Sam follows suit, but he appears shyer as he quickly goes to wrap his arms around one of Dean's after the brief contact. Castiel also noticed when the boys tug at their collars uncomfortably as their clothes are currently drenched in sweat and sticking to their back (due to their highly animated play-wrestling earlier on). Inconspicuously, he magic-dried both their shirts in a helpful gesture.

"Alright, Cas, why don't we talk over here…" Dean then came forward and took him further away to talk out of earshot of the two.

The trio discusses what they'll do and then Cas left the bunker with the promise to find Liutprand's counter-spell.

" _Dean_ , who is he?" _Sam_ asked after the angel stepped out of the door.

"He's Cas," _Dean_ replied the obvious, but that's not what _Sam_ was asking.

"Is he dad's friend too?"

"Yeah," _Dean_ replied perfunctorily, not knowing the answer himself.

"Does dad know we're here?" _Sam_ asked next.

"Sure he does," _Dean_ said while avoiding his eyes and then biting down at his lips. Young _Dean_ wasn't as proficient in the art of deception, but just as well, as little _Sam_ wasn't as good at detecting them either. Both the older Sam and Dean could see though, that _Dean_ is getting increasingly edgy.

"When is dad comin' fetch us?" _Sam_ moved on without suspicion.

"I don't know… Soon, I guess," frustration is starting to seep through _Dean's_ voice.

"Where is he now? Is he still working?..."

"Yes! Ok?!" _Dean_ exclaimed at the endless queries that he has no answer for.

"Why are you angry?" _Sam_ exclaimed back in bewilderment at the outburst.

"Cause you're noisy!" _Dean_ told him.

"I'm not noisy, you are!" _Sam_ shot back indignantly, as it was _Dean_ who started shouting first.

"Ok! Ok… Your dad is on his way here. He's caught up on something at the moment, so, you have to wait out for a bit, alright?" Sam reassured them while demonstrating the skill of a professional liar.

The boys quietened down for a minute at those words. _Sam's_ eyes roam his surrounding during this silent interval and the room next door catches his attention. He had noticed it since before but didn't speak out, until now.

" _Dean_ , _Dean_ …" he tugs at the sleeve of his brother's shirt, "Tell me stories," he requested, pointing at the library of books. _Dean_ had noticed them before too.

"I don't think they are children's book," _Dean_ inferred from their dull colours and academic-looking book spines.

Unconvinced, _Sam_ runs over to one of the shelves to see for himself.

"No, _Sam_ , don't touch!" _Dean_ chased after him and pulled him back before he can make contact with any of the books.

The younger child sniggers and struggles to break free as though it is a game.

"Guys… Here, you can read this," Sam holds up a tablet and walks to where they were sitting before. The boys run back to the table willingly to see what Sam has to offer.

Sam teaches them how to use the ebook and the two kids are rather amazed by the foreign technology. They have much fun swiping at the screen for several minutes just to see the virtual page turns on the screen, and the words enlarging and diminishing at their fingers' command. Eventually, they got over the touch screen functions and proceeded to the stories that Sam found for them.

It is a pleasant, harmonious atmosphere. They have pushed their chairs together so that they can sit side by side while _Dean_ reads out the stories to a mostly illiterate _Sam._ Little _Sam_ is quiet and attentive during the story-telling, leaning across the arms of their chairs to see the screen that will sometimes insert pictures that illustrate the story. And _Dean_ is a pretty good reader for his age. The fluent way in which he reads, with appropriate phrasing and intonation, not to mention some dramatic voice acting for the characters' dialogue, shows that this isn't his first story-telling.

Sam and Dean managed to have some uninterrupted research time while the boys are occupied with children stories, but they didn't really find any useful materials.

* * *

"… One more~ one more~. Dean, one more story~" _Sam_ pleaded, tapping on the tablet's screen.

"No. I've read you _thirteen_ stories already," _Dean_ grumbled.

The older pair of brothers pretends to be oblivious as they listen in on their conversation. Dean gave an internal sigh. He almost forgot that Sam has been a book addict before he can even read.

"Please? Please, _Dean_ , please?" _Sam_ whined and pulled at his arm while peering up with his puppy-dog eyes.

"No, no, no," _Dean_ finally gained some resistance against that puppy power after falling for it for the past three stories.

"Yes, yes, yes, last story _Dean_ , last one," he bargained.

"You said that _five_ stories ago," _Dean_ reminded him with a roll of his eyes.

" _De~ean_ , I want one more~ This is really, really the last story!" _Sam_ promised.

"You said that four stories ago and my throat hurts and I'm not reading anymore!" _Dean_ reiterated.

" _Dean_ , please~ _Dean_ ~ _Deean_ ~ _Deeean_ ~" _Sam_ gets louder and louder with each plea.

"Sammy, stop it," _Dean_ said firmly to the demanding toddler.

"Umrh…" _Sam_ raises one fist to his eye as he screws up his face. The adults began to look up from their work in response to the commotion. _Dean_ notices their reaction, making him all the more distress.

" _Sam Winchester_ ," he lowered his voice and said in a stern, warning tone, staring straight at _Sam's_ face with a serious, no-nonsense expression. It is not hard to see that _Dean_ is channelling John Winchester, who would apply this stance with them when he meant business.

 _Sam_ seems to heed the warning as his cries and whines quietened before it even escalates. Across the table, Sam and Dean watch their exchange with amusement. It is weird to see _Dean_ acting as the adult figure as it is mostly Sam now who is the more sensible one between the two. Just earlier today, Sam nagged at Dean yet again to clear his days-old, unfinished pie in the fridge while the latter pretended not to hear him, slipping out of the kitchen at first chance.

There was a period of tense silence and _Dean_ gradually softens his attitude when he sees that Sam has refrained from going into 'tantrum mode'.

"… Are you sleepy?" _Dean_ asked softly, as a tired _Sam_ usually becomes whinier and more unreasonable than usual - like he just was.

However, _Sam_ shakes his head stubbornly, still pouting for not getting his stories. _Dean_ left him be after that. Meanwhile, Sam went to the kitchen and returns with four cups of water which _Dean_ immediately helped himself to.

Not long later, _Sam's_ eyes began to droop, and his head slowly drops further and further. Right before he hits his forehead on the table edge, _Dean_ swiftly slides his hand over it and _Sam_ bounces off the back of his hand instead. He was jolted awake by the impact, but quickly turns drowsy again. Shifting around in his seat, he curls his legs onto the chair and grabs hold of _Dean's_ arm that is lying on top of their chairs' arms, using it as his head pillow.

 _Dean_ was adjusting his position to accommodate _Sam_ when the two adults walk over to them.

"We've got rooms and beds at the back," Dean informed _Dean_ as he gently picks _Sam_ up from the chair and the child drapes bonelessly against his chest.

"I got him…" Dean said when his younger self stood up and raises his arms for him to pass the kid over.

Before he lowered his arms all the way down, Sam caught them and scooped him up. _Dean_ was surprised by the gesture, but he didn't protest when he was carried through the corridors along with _Sam_.

Kid _Dean_ feels lighter than Sam has expected. Maybe it is him being taller than the average 7-year-olds. Or maybe it is the way he acted, that made him seems bigger than he actually is. And this, is perhaps what triggered Sam to pick him up – to remind him that he, too, is just a child.

"Dea...?" _Sam_ called out without opening his eyes.

"I'm here," _Dean_ replied, stretching his head to look over at his brother.

Dean felt the tiny body relaxes further at the familiar voice, his soft, brown hair tickling his neck. It seems so unbelievable (despite knowing it as a fact) how this small, tender-looking thing in his arms will one day grow into the giant sasquatch that is walking beside him right now…

Dean carefully supported _Sam's_ head as he lowers him onto the bed, and then carefully brushes his hair out of his face. Sam lets _Dean_ down onto the floor before he climbs into bed beside his sleepy brother. He rubs his eyes after a huge yawn, the sleeping bug catching up to him as well.

"We'll wake you up when it's time to go," Sam assured him in a lowered volume.

"Thanks," _Dean_ said with a brief smile. "Goodnight," he added.

"Night," they replied.

 _Dean_ then turned to his side and briefly lean down to give _Sam_ a peck on his head. "Night, _Sammy_ ," he said before lying down and pulling the blanket over both of them. It seemed like that is their usual bedtime routine, though one that the current Sam no longer remembers.

Meanwhile, little _Sammy_ sleeps on obliviously. With his eyes shut and lips slightly parted, it is as if he doesn't have a care in the world. The older pair quietly exits the room and closes the door behind a scene of endearing tranquillity.

"Dude, you were such a brat… still are," Dean poked fun at Sam instead of admitting how cute he finds young _Sam_ to be.

"I was three, and you were a jerk… Oh wait, still are," Sam shot back with a smirk.

Cas shows up a couple hours later with the counter-spell.

"Guys… Hey, you can go back now…" It took them a few tries to wake the boys up and then got them back to the library where the hourglass is.

"Is dad here?" _Sam_ asked in a sleepy voice.

Instead of answering, Sam and Dean recited the counter-spell and a bright portal appears in the middle of the room.

"You will return once you step into the portal," Cas told them.

The boys squint and shield their eyes against the blinding light, not knowing what to make of it.

"What is that?" _Sam_ asked.

"It's the rabbit hole," Dean replied while Sam lifted one side of his lips. "You have to walk through it," he added.

"You're not coming?" _Dean_ asked.

"Not now, we'll meet again soon... Your dad's waiting on the other side, go on," Sam prompted, giving them a little push on their backs.

"Thank you," _Dean_ said to all three of them who smiled and nodded.

He then takes one of _Sam's_ hand and turns to walk towards the light. _Sam_ , however, pulled against him, unwilling to approach the blinding source.

" _Sammy_ , come on!" _Dean_ exclaimed.

"I can't see, it's too bright!" The little one complained while twisting his head away from the glare.

"You're such a baby…" _Dean_ grumbled as he picks _Sam_ up for the second time.

 _Sam_ waves shyly to Sam, Dean and Cas with his head perching on _Dean's_ shoulder while being carried backward into the light. The three wave back with a soft smile on their faces until the children are completely engulfed by the brightness, which then disappeared in a heartbeat.

* * *

 **I had thought that this would be the last version of the story before but somehow I'm having ideas of adult versions of the boys time travelling into the bunker – particularly instances from Season 3~**

 **Writer's Random Rant: Less than a month till Season 14~!~!XD**


	12. Version 7: 25yo Sam

**Happy New Year everyone! It's 2019~~ :) New semester starting in 2 days›‹ The holidays always seem to pass by in a flash… But the new episode 14x10 will be coming out next wk too so yay!~ X)**

 **Note: This chapter has made references and has quotes from ep4x01 "Lazarus Rising" and ep4x09 "I Know What You Did Last Summer".**

* * *

Version 7  
25yo Sam

"What the..." Dean uttered as a man appeared in the middle of the library after a flash of white light. Almost immediately, a strong smell of alcohol fills the air, no doubt coming off from the newcomer among their midst.

"How..." Sam stuttered and exchanged a stunned look with Dean as they recognised the man.

The intruder, clearly drunk from the way he sways on the spot, has yet to notice how he is no longer where he's used to be. Supporting himself by the edge of the table, he feels around its surface but not finding what he wants.

"... Who're you...?" He finally caught sight of the other two in the room.

"Are you drunk?" Dean asked the obvious.

The man tilts his head to look to the source of the voice.

"... D..Dean?" He stuttered and slurred, having a hard time focusing his gaze, though not for the lack of effort trying.

"Yea... Hey, easy..." Dean cautioned as he stood up from his seat when the man took stumbled steps towards him. "It's not what it looks like, I'm no shapeshifter or what...ever..." Before Dean could finish his sentence, the young man closed the distance between them and threw himself onto Dean, wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace.

"... _Sammy_?" Dean said uncertainly, surprised at his reaction. He threw a questioning look at the older Sam, who is looking at him with an equally appalled expression.

"Dea... I'm sor... couldn't... I pro..mised to... sav.. Dean how.. cou' you..." the younger _Sam_ blabbered incoherently as he sobbed into his shoulder.

"Little help here!" Dean lets out a strangled call as the less-than-sober man put more and more of his weight onto him while his legs give way underneath.

Sam rushes forward at Dean's request and tries to pull one of young _Sam's_ arm over his neck to support his weight. However, when _Sam_ notices the tugging, he woke with a vengeance.

"No!..." he yelled and resisted against his older self, swinging his arm back around Dean and holding on to him like his life depends on it.

"Urgh.. Dude, relax!" Dean groaned as he felt the air squeezed out of him while Sam backed away for the moment.

"Dou..go... No...Dean..." he garbled senselessly and gradually loses strength.

Sam managed to pull his arm around this time and the two sober ones half-drag-and-half-carry him back into his room and drop him on top his bed.

"... What the hell was that?!" Dean exclaimed, staring down at the younger version of _Sam_.

"The hourglass... It must be some kind of enchanted object," Sam said.

"Enchanted? Cursed object more like..." Dean muttered in annoyance.

They return back to the library and tried to work the hourglass but were unsuccessful, thus, Sam decided to call Cas for help.

"Hey, when did that happened?" Dean asked after Sam put down his phone.

"What?" Sam replied.

"I can't remember - when did you get that drunk? I know there was that one time in our teens..." Dean smiled a quick smile, "but that dude's definitely in his twenties," Dean jabbed a finger towards the back of the bunker.

"Yeah, uh..." Sam raised a hand to scratch his head unnecessarily, "You weren't around at the time."

"You got _that_ drunk on your own? Kinda dicey don't you think?" Dean raised his eyebrow at his usually more cautious and level-headed younger brother. "Where was I anyway?" Dean wondered.

"Somewhere… in hell," Sam told him and a look of realisation appeared on Dean's face. That explains a lot about _Sam's_ drunken antics - he is grieving.

* * *

 _Sam_ woke up with his heart thumping fast and eyes swimming with tears. The dream was so vivid. So terrifying. So heart-wrenching. It was the last moments of his brother - being torn apart before his eyes. The dream was confusing as well. At one point, he even dreamt that Dean has returned. It felt so real when he held him in his arms... _Sam_ sighs as he lies in bed, waiting for his heart to slow.

However, as he waited, he became more aware of his surrounding - a strange, unfamiliar room. He swings his legs off the bed and his head spins dizzily from being abruptly vertical.

"Urgg..." he groaned as the hangover came over him.

"He's up," the door swung open and in walks Dean, followed by Sam.

 _Sam_ froze for a second and then blinks violently to clear his eyes.

"No..." he rises from the bed and backs into a defensive stance as they come towards him. The surprise on his face turning quickly into anger.

"Take it off," he growled, glaring straight at Dean.

"What?..." Before he could clarify further, _Sam_ charges towards him, fist waving. Dean blocks his shaky attack easily while Sam helps to restrain his arms.

"Take it off!" He demanded heatedly again.

"Take what off?!" Dean exclaimed in bewilderment.

"That's not your face - take it off or I'll rip it off you!" Sam spat at him.

"Ok, number 1, this is my face and number 2..." Sam struggled free at this point and went straight for Dean. As before, he got overpowered with ease.

"What do you want!" He bellowed, standing two feet away after Dean threw him off.

"You've gotta chill…"

"You want to kill me?" Sam cut across him, clearly not listening. "Go ahead then! Do it!" He opens his arms wide in welcome.

A flit of shock went across Dean's face at his ready acceptance for death. Then, the shock turned into rage and this time, it is Dean's turn to pounce.

"Umph!" _Sam_ grunted as he got slam back onto the wall.

"Ok, listen up you stupid son of a bitch! I did _not_ go to hell for you to roll over for some 'Monster Number 3'. I _am_ your brother - Dean Winchester. And that _is you_ , Sam Friggin' Winchester," he gestured towards the older Sam. "You are in the future. We made a mistake and got you here, but we will find a way to send your stupid ass back-"

"Dean…" Sam came forward as _Sam_ raises a hand to his mouth. All the movements, and having his back slammed against a wall, did not sit well at all with his booze-filled stomach.

Dean recognises the signs too and they immediately rush him over to the sink inside the room. _Sam_ held on to the sides of the basin and bent over the cool ceramic just in time for a fountain of alcohol and stomach acid to shoot out of his mouth. He feels his head whirling; his insides churning, and one hand thumping helpfully on his back while another holding up his hair.

It seems like forever before he finally emptied his stomach's content. Weak and wobbly, he sank down onto the floor and leaned on his side against the wall to catch his breath. He hears the tap running over the sink as one of the two standing men turned it on to flush the sink.

"Here, drink." He opens his eyes to find his older-looking doppelganger holding a cup of water to his lips. He was instantly aware of how dry his mouth is and gobbled it down spontaneously.

After the water, _Sam_ felt marginally better and he pulls himself up into a standing position. Two pairs of hands hover over him as he does so with unsteady feet. He backs away from the two men, keeping a cautious distance between them.

"…Who are you?" He asked, with more composure this time and some genuine curiosity, confused by the kindness that they have shown towards him.

"We are your future. I know it sounds crazy – even for us, but it's the truth. We got our hands on an enchanted hourglass and accidentally summoned you here…" Sam began explaining.

"No, you can't be," _Sam_ cut him off.

"It's a lot to take in…"

"No. You can't be because _Dean_ is dead," his eyes darkened slightly as they settled upon the present Dean.

"I was, but I came back," Dean said.

"It's not possible. I don't… No…" _Sam_ shook his head in denial. It doesn't help that his mind is not exactly in its best working condition right now.

"Ok, why don't you go take a shower first and we'll talk after," Dean proposed.

"A shower?..." _Sam_ replied with glazed eyes, caught by surprise at that unexpected suggestion.

"Ya. A shower. With soap and water. And shampoo and conditioner - the whole set because, I don't know if you've noticed but you smell like garbage," Dean informed him. Sam gave a small shrug at the side. It's not exactly garbage - more like a mix of dirty laundry, alcohol and alcohol puke. Though, Sam has to agree that shower is a good idea, so he went to pull out a towel from his drawer and they guide the time traveller to the shower. _Sam_ followed them in a stupor silence, his mind still trying to make sense of everything that has and is happening, and if any of it is real.

Sam and Dean stood outside the bathroom door till they hear the water running.

"What?" Sam said self-consciously when he noticed Dean looking at him in a way.

"Nothing. I'll go make some food," he shrugged and turns to head towards the kitchen.

"You're hungry?" Sam pulled out his phone to check the time.

"Not for me," Dean replied. He didn't like how thin and light the younger _Sam_ has felt when they were lifting him into the room and judging from his all-liquid vomit, he could use some solid food in his system.

* * *

The brothers sat at the library to research while they waited. Some time later, a shadow moved into the exit's corridor and a slight figure appeared at the doorway. He looks much better compared to before. His face looks clean, his clothes are fresh and he has a much more focused gaze, signalling a clearer and alert-er mind.

"Hey. Sandwich?" Dean offered the plate of hand-made dish sitting on the table top. He is pleased with _Sam's_ improved outlook, though, he did note that the shower has not managed to wash away the dark circles under his eyes.

 _Sam_ stands unmoving at the entrance, keeping a guarded distance.

"Everything you said… Is it true?" He asked first and foremost.

"Yes."

"But you're gone," he said while looking at Dean.

"You've come back from the dead yourself," Dean reminded him.

"I tried everything.. everything I could. Hell, I tried to bargain… But no demon would deal…" he said in a way that sounded more like an apology than anything else.

"It wasn't a demon that brought me back, it was an angel," Dean told him.

"An… angel?"

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed in disapproval.

"What?!" Dean said back in shock.

"I don't think we should tell him too much cause it may, you know, change the past, which will cause distortions in the future - our present…" Sam explained in a mutter.

"Ok, ok…" Dean said in a patronising tone.

"An angel brought you back? I don't… No, it can't b.. What do you mean?" _Sam_ sputtered in confusion.

"So… It's a long story. Main thing is - I'm back, it's all cool. Why don't you have some sandwich while we find a way to send you back, huh?" Dean told him.

"No. What do you mean an angel brought you back? You don't even believe in angels…"

Sam: "Look, we can't tell you too much because, you know, there may be the butterfly effect that may…"

"I don't care! Just tell me!" Young _Sam_ demand heatedly, nothing in the world seems to matter anymore besides this one thing.

Dean: "Angels are real."

Sam: "Dean!"

"We can just ask Cas to wipe his memories after," Dean assured Sam, who thought about it and nodded in agreement.

 _Sam_ squeezes his eyes shut as Dean spoke and took a few deep breaths before opening them again. They are still there.

"… Hey, easy there," Dean took a step back as _Sam_ walks towards him with an unreadable expression, "I'm not a shifter or a demon, I can prove it to you…"

"Don't move," _Sam_ said as he slowly raises a hand towards him. Dean stops on his spot but throws his arms out in front of him in cautionary defence. _Sam's_ eyes widen as his fingers make contact with his arm.

"Not a ghost either and also not a leviathan, but you don't even know what that i- Whoa!" Dean uttered when his younger, younger brother pulls him into a bone-crushing hug. He can feel the rapid rising and falling of _Sam's_ chest against his, and those fists crumbling the shirt on his back that are trembling from their tight grips.

It crossed his mind to make an 'Alright, it's just me' remark to lighten the mood but the intensity of that raw emotion kept him grounded. "Ok… Alright…" he said reassuringly while returning the hug.

Sam watches them quietly at the side. He understands too well what young _Sam_ is feeling. It was one of the darkest periods in his life and seeing _himself_ in third person, _he_ was worse than he remembered _him_ to be. _Sam_ releases Dean eventually, holding him at arms' length and his eyes roam over his features, seeing and believing that this is real, that Dean is real. An involuntary smile stretches across his face, looking somehow out of place on those gaunt cheeks, as though its muscles have forgotten how to work those lifts. Dean looks back at young _Sam_ and he wasn't as thrilled at what he sees.

"So… sandwich?" Dean offered again.

* * *

Sam munches on hungrily while the other two flip through yellowing pages of the library books. He hadn't realised just how hungry he is and those sandwiches taste like little pieces of heaven on his suddenly-revived taste buds. However, even hunger isn't sufficient in diverting his attention from the one person sitting beside him right now.

"Dude, you're staring," Dean finally said after feeling _Sam's_ eyes on him for the past five sandwiches. He glances up and _Sam_ smiled; looked away for a second; and looks back at him like he couldn't help it.

"How long was it?... Till you came back?" _Sam_ asked.

Sam and Dean exchange a look of hesitation.

"Come on, you can tell me that at least," _Sam_ egged on.

"…How long has it been?" Sam asked him instead.

'A week? Or two? I dunno.. What day is it?" Sam wondered out loud and Dean lets out a sigh. He knew that Sam has gone through a dark time after he was gone but he never imagined it to be this bad. The Sam that he came back to after getting top-side wasn't even a tenth as bad as this one. And it hurts his guts to feel this way but he might be somewhat thankful for Ruby after all. Despite her elaborated, undercover, ulterior motive, she was there for Sam when he wasn't and she gave him a reason to fight; to live. He remembered Sam once told him _"If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here"_ and he could really see it clearly now that he wasn't exaggerating when he said that.

 _Sam_ has so many questions but he held his tongue after seeing that they are not going to spill. Then, Sam passes young _Sam_ the carved-out book to search for possible counter-spells while he and Dean look through the rest of the stacks in the shelves. The bunker door whines open not long after.

"Cas, hey, thanks for coming, this is..."

"You, from the year 2008," Cas stares straight at _Sam_ as though he is looking right through his soul, which he probably is.

"Hi… Are you a hunter?"

"No, I'm an angel…" Cas said to a stunned _Sam_.

"Er…Cas, I thought we're not supposed to tell him that? Won't it, you know…alter the past and mess up the future…?" Sam asked in concern.

"No. _As space-time contorts, the journey halts,_ " Cas recited the first half of the spell. "If I am able to find the counter-spell, he will be sent back to the exact space-time where he came from. He won't remember ever coming here. Only we would," Castiel explained.

Sam and Dean sigh in relief at this new piece of information while _Sam_ stares at Cas in awe.

"You are an angel? No way… I mean.. You're not what I expect.. I'm sorry, it's just… Angels are real…" _Sam_ uttered with wide eyes as he walks up to the celestial being and Sam looked slightly abashed at his younger self's fan-boy exhibitions while Dean smirked in amusement at the side.

"Hello, _Sam_. You don't look too well," he commented at the unhealthy outlook of a man who has lost considerable weight over a short period of time.

"Oh, well… Wait. Are you…" he looks over to Dean as he suddenly recalls their previous conversation, "Are you the angel that brought Dean back?"

"It was more of a group effort but technically, yes, I was," Castiel verified.

"You are… Thank you," _Sam_ said with all his sincerity as he shook Cas's hand, "Thank you - for bringing him back."

"I'm glad that I did," Cas told him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but Cas, you might want to take a look at this hourglass thing…" Dean cuts in and return their attention to the problem at hand.

Cas offered to look for the counter-spell via Liutprand after vetting the enchanted hourglass.

"I'll be back before the sand falls," Cas promised. He locked eyes with his two friends and then with young _Sam_ , who looks back in a respectful, revering sort of way that reminds Cas so much of their eventual first meeting in that unremarkable motel room. It went so much better this time around.

"Thanks Cas." "We owe you one." Sam and Dean said while Cas nodded and left.

"Wow. This is… this is…" _Sam_ struggled to find a word to describe his amazement. "His name is…Cas?"

"Castiel. But we call him Cas," Sam informed him.

"We're friends with an angel…? Oh my god…" he breathed in disbelieve.

"Ya. Crazy," Dean summed it up.

"So…does that mean God is real? And heaven?..." A flood of questions poured out of _Sam_ , including all those that he had been suppressing to ask before. Sam and Dean did their best to answer all of his queries and _Sam's_ eyes got progressively rounder and wider with each new information.

 **Wait, you've both been to heaven?... We are legacies from Dad's side?... What?! Mum used to be a hunter?!...**

However, there are also some questions that they find harder to answer.

"How long have you… When will you come back, exactly?" _Sam_ asked again.

"In 3 months," Dean replied.

"Do you… do you remember anything? About.. downstairs...?" _Sam_ asked delicately.

There was a split-second of a pause as Dean considers his answer, or more specifically, considers between truth and lie.

"Nope. Must have blacked-out. Don't remember a damn thing," he decided on the latter. Sam acknowledged the lie with a straight face, not giving anything away. He understood why Dean lied – to spare his younger self the horror and the pain since there is nothing that he could do anyway.

"Thank god for that," _Sam_ said reasonably.

"Yeah," Dean wholeheartedly agreed. Ignorance is definitely bliss in this scenario.

Another uncomfortable topic involves _Sam's_ immediate future.

"What happened to Lilith? Where is she now?" _Sam_ asked, his features twist slightly in anger when he mentioned the demon that played a direct role in Dean's horrific death.

"She's dead," Dean told him.

"Really? How?" _Sam_ asked with real surprise. Lilith is arguably the most powerful creature that he has known so far.

There was a pregnant pause when both Sam and Dean consider how, or rather if, they should tell him.

Sam watches them with eager, impatient eyes as he waits for the answer that took too long to come.

"Killed by someone more powerful," Dean tried to be as honest as possible while evading certain important facts.

"Someone more powerful than Lilith? What is it? A demigod?" _Sam_ asked the natural follow-up questions.

"No. It's you," Sam spoke up and _Sam's_ jaw drop with shock while Dean pursed his lips at the revelation.

"Me?!" _Sam_ screeched in disbelief.

"Yeah. I did, so you will," Sam said with a soft sigh.

"How?"

"You found a way to get strong enough to do that and so she's dead," Dean said quickly before Sam could answer, but _Sam_ continued questioning.

"You mean we found a weapon that can hurt Lilith?"

"Something like that," Dean shrugged.

 _Sam_ narrowed his eyes.

"You guys are not telling me something."

"It doesn't matter. She's dead. It's done," Dean said with a tone of finality.

 _Sam_ glances over to Sam for answers instead but Dean was determined not to let him have it.

"It's done. Right? It's over," Dean gives Sam a meaningful look that asks him to put an end to this topic.

"Yea, it's over," Sam complied. He doesn't feel as strongly as Dean about hiding this from young _Sam_ , but he isn't super keen on sharing it either.

It is obvious that something happened with the killing of Lilith, but seeing that both his and Dean's future self are alive and well, it shouldn't be that bad… but again, why wouldn't they tell him if it's not bad... Curiosity kindled within him, though, there is nothing much that he can do when the both of them aren't willing to talk. He moved on to another topic.

Sam and Dean sat with young _Sam_ for a long time, answering his endless questions. He is particularly fascinated by the modern technologies and the rich collection of books and documentation in the Men of Letter's library. They also gave him a tour around the bunker, to which he greatly enjoyed.

Castiel returned to the bunker after several hours that felt like a very short time to _Sam._

"I'll see you soon, right?" _Sam_ said to Dean as he stands in front of the bright portal that will send him back to his time - a time without Dean.

"That's right," Dean replied with confidence.

 _Sam_ nodded and turns towards the portal, and then sighs and looks back at Dean. He knows he has to go, but he doesn't really want to, because, who in the world will want to go back to one of the worst periods in their life? Dean understood as he recognises the sadness and longing in his gaze. Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around the skinny man in an embrace.

"I'll see you soon," he said as a promise before pulling himself away.

 _Sam_ unwillingly lets go of his future brother and with a last nod at all three Sam, Dean and Cas, he stepped into the bright light, which disappeared in a heartbeat, together with _Sam_.

~ The End ~

* * *

 **The next version (and last version in my mind as of now) will also be about season 3 where both young** _ **Sam**_ **and** _ **Dean**_ **will appear. I haven't thought out all the details yet, but it'll be pretty intense given the situation they are in when they got time travelled over~**


End file.
